Covid 19 and IVF

[MissHoney85]

So my DH has been following the whole Covid 19 thing closely (he loves a good doomsday scenario!) and has become increasingly concerned over the last week or so. He reads pretty widely so is quite informed, and is pretty sure it's about to blow up in quite a big way. I work in a school so am quite high risk for getting it. My DH has now been worrying himself about the potential risks of the virus in pregnancy (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnancy-faq.html) and is suggesting we hold off IVF until the situation starts to calm down and/or we know more. Obviously I'm quite reluctant to do this, though I can see his point. Any thoughts or arguments I can give him against postponing?

[JeNeBaguetteRien]

What stage are you at? If you're about to start IVF I would go ahead unless you have any good reason not to.
Would it be a possibility to do IVF now and freeze embryos if you and he cannot agree to go for a fresh transfer at this point?

[MissHoney85]

We are between cycles at the moment, had one in January and current trying to decide when to go for the next one. I suggested freezing if the situation looks dodgy when we get there, he wasn't sure we would be able to resist transferring! Not sure he believed me about FET success rates being as good or better than fresh. We've agreed not to go with the next cycle and reassess in a month or so anyway. I'm sure the clinic would advise if it looked dangerous.

[JeNeBaguetteRien]

If he doesn't believe you tell him to search himself, many clinics are promoting FET over fresh transfers.
Are you having IVF in the UK?
I'm having treatment abroad and at this point no plans to interrupt it.

[RosettaR]

I also don't really know what to do. I've been waiting to do ivf since October so I really don't want to delay it more. But I am worried that either the clinic might close, or that I might come into contact with the virus and be banned from the clinic at a lot moment. Given how long we've waited I think we will go ahead anyway. They think things will improve as the weather gets warmer, and if I sign up now EC will be in May.

[elsa2424]

Hello,

I am planning to have my second FET this month in Spain. I'm also worried about Covid-19 especially as I'll have to travel abroard. However, I have no plans to delay it, because we don't know how the situation will evolve in the next few months.

[Wintersun13]

I mean, covid is basically the flu. Except it's less deadly. The only reason why it's getting so much coverage and fear is that it's new, and the new and the unknown zre scary.

Also, it seems to be less prevalent in children so being in a school is safer than buying groceries at the supermarket.

I wouldn't delay for this reason. If you're worried, just be more careful about washing your hands frequently.

[MissHoney85]

@Wintersun13 not to sound scaremongery, but current data suggests it is significantly more deadly than flu. There is not a lot of data yet but there is reason to believe it could be particularly dangerous to pregnant women - see the link in my OP. Children suffer it more mildly but are almost certainly going to be effective spreaders, as they are of most bugs and viruses! I'm not saying panic now, but I don't think concerns are completely misplaced.

[RosettaR]

I think I agree @MissHoney85, I think the death rate is about 10 times more deadly than flu. I still plan to go ahead with ivf because I can't stand waiting any longer. As @JeNeBaguetteRien says, there's always the option of freezing everything, success rates from FETs are very nearly as good as fresh.

[seven201]

Is anyone worried about their treatment being postponed? Our FET is due to start at the end of April and I'm stressing that the country will be on shut down and my clinic will stop running. Anyone else worrying?

[EmotionalEllie]

I'd go ahead but just be more careful about hygiene and hand washing. It's good practice anyway if you might be pregnant as there are other viruses which are known to be dangerous in pregnancy such as CMV.

[MissHoney85]

@seven201 yes I am also increasingly worried about that. I'm hoping to start my second cycle in April and I think there's a not unrealistic possibility that in the next few months IVF clinics will be partially or fully shutting down due to staff sickness and / or to draft staff into regular hospitals. Then when things do eventually go back to normal there will be a backlog to get through so waiting lists will be longer. ☹️ Sorry not to be more positive! Hopefully I'm just catastrophising as normal and it will all blow over soon... 🤞 I guess if it does get that bad then IVF will be the least of most people's worries.

[seven201]

@misshoney85 that's exactly what I'm worried about!

[RosettaR]

@MissHoney85 that's exactly my worry too. Here are some things I'm telling myself to try to reassure myself:

• The ivf clinics really want our money and they will do everything they can to stay open.
• Many people won't want ivf at this time, so they will have fewer patients and can get by with fewer staff.
• If they do have to close, the clinic has sister clinics so hopefully they can send us elsewhere for procedures rather than cancelling (see above, they will do everything to avoid cancelling because they want to keep your money).
• And if they do have to cancel, hopefully the people who get cancelled will be first on the waiting list for when they re open.

I am worried though. One of my worries is that everyone says you should relax to get the best outcome, and it is going to be really hard to relax at what is objectively a super worrying time for everyone.

[EarlGreyT]

One of my worries is that everyone says you should relax to get the best outcome, and it is going to be really hard to relax at what is objectively a super worrying time for everyone.
Everyone says that, but there’s absolutely no truth in it. There is no evidence that relaxing has any effect on outcome of IVF. It’s just a platitude people like to offer you, but it’s a load of crap.