• Measuring the temperature before entering the clinic, providing masks and marking safety distances in the clinic are some of the safety measures taken in our assisted reproduction clinics
• All our laboratories are prepared to work with type 2 infectious agents, such as SARS-CoV-2 so there is no risk in this area.

Many of you have had to stop your assisted reproduction treatments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, throughout the confinement, many of you have asked us about the return to fertility treatments. Two weeks ago, in our blog we talked about the urgent need to restart treatments as soon as possible and, fortunately, today we can confirm that all IVI fertility clinics are reopening their doors in Spain.
 The return to activity will be progressive, for which we will assess each case individually and above all we will take the necessary safety and prevention measures to protect both the health of our patients and our staff.

When the government declared a state of alert on 14 March, our clinics decided to close their doors, mainly to help stop the spread of infection among our patients and our staff, in order to offer our equipment to the Public Health Service and to make our facilities available in the event of a general collapse of our public hospitals. With the curve now flattened and the numbers of the pandemic remitting, after several demonstrations, both from us and from the highest scientific authorities of our country in the field of gynaecology and fertility, including the SEF, the Ministry of Health published a resolution last Friday, 24 April, which, as it literally concludes, “assumes that assisted human reproduction centres and services are authorized to open”.

Safety and Prevention Measures against COVID19

Each IVI clinic will individually contact the patients who have had their treatment suspended.
 
 For those who come to the clinic, very strict guidelines will be established to avoid the influx of symptomatic patients to our centres. One of our maxims at IVI has always been to achieve healthy babies and, in addition to the already strict safety and control protocols, we are going to add all the relevant safety measures recommended to minimize the risks of infection. In this way, if you are a patient, before coming to the clinic, you should comply with the following:

• Do not come if you have or have had a fever, cough, or any respiratory symptoms in the past fourteen days, and inform your doctor. IVI will monitor your evolution and give you a new appointment.
• Do not come if you have been in contact with anyone diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
• In as far as is possible, try to come alone.
• Be on time, and come at your appointment time so you don’t have to wait too long, wear a mask.

Once at the clinic, the patient’s temperature will be taken and, if the patient has a temperature over 37.5 degrees, the appointment will be rescheduled. Masks will be provided to patients if they do not have them, they will be asked to dispose of gloves if they have brought them from outside, doses of disinfectant gel will be provided, and they will be reminded of safety distances, which will be indicated, in all areas of the clinic, among others.

Will I be tested for COVID-19?

In addition to the prevention measures mentioned above, all patients will undergo serological tests at the start of the treatment to determine their immunological status regarding the Coronavirus, to find out whether they have antibodies to COVID-19 or not, that is, whether they have had the disease. And before any puncture, insemination or embryo transfer, a PCR test will be carried out, taking a nasopharyngeal sample, to avoid any risk of infection during the procedure and to check that the patient is not infected prior to all the actions described.
 

Telemedicine, a reality in our clinics

All of you who wished to have your first visits online throughout the confinement were able to do so without any inconvenience, our fertility specialists were at your disposal. Regardless of patients currently in treatment who have to come to the clinic, those of you who wish to continue with a first online visit, can do so either by making an appointment on our website or by calling us on +34 960 451 185.
 At IVI, we had been preparing for telemedicine for a long time, but now more than ever, the first online visit is here to stay.

Our obligation is to prevent the return to our daily activities leading to an increase in infections and cases, which is why at IVI we are following all the necessary evidence-based measures established by the relevant scientific organizations. It is important that you help us comply with all these measures.