Abroad Infertility Treatments are Not Stopped by COVID-19

In this article you will read about:

• How Argentina is Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic?
• How do Fertility Clinics work During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
• How do Fertility Clinics work with International Patients?
• How to talk with a Fertility Doctor Online?

The COVID-19 Pandemic has postponed indefinitely many treatments, including fertility treatments. To find more information about how clinics handle fertility patients during the global quarantine, we talked to Dr. Demián Glujovsky from CEGYR, Fertility Argentina, a Fertility Clinic in Buenos Aires.   

“Most of the IVF clinics worldwide have stopped most of the treatments since March 2020. However, now(May 2020), most are beginning to perform some types of treatments, starting with the most urgent ones (i.e. egg freezing for oncologic patients, IVF treatments for women with poor ovarian reserve or just poor prognosis)”

How Fertility Clinics Work During COVID-19 Pandemic?

“The pandemic is pretty well controlled by now. Our government closed everything quickly and we are still on lockdown. The good news is that we have had a few sick people. Some activities are on again. Our IVF clinic re-opened on April 27 and the embryo lab is operating again. Nowadays, most of our consultations are through a video call and patients are starting to plan their treatments again. As we take it very seriously, strict security measures were implemented to ensure our patients and health-care practitioners’ safety. Starting on June 1st, both egg retrievals and embryo transfers will be done again.”

Understanding Reproductive System and Fertility Treatment can help you make informed decisions about where to undertake your IVF journey.

How does Fertility Argentina work with International Patients?

“For our patients coming from overseas (more than 250 every year), we have some comments. Firstly, we are available for any questions or doubts. That means that they can contact us through emails or video calls and start planning the next steps. Secondly, those that use both donor eggs and donor sperm can start their treatment right now: we can do the in vitro fertilization and freeze the embryos in the blastocyst stage to make them ready for the embryo transfer (later in the year). In those cases that will test the embryo with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A), we can also do the PGT, and, in 1-2 months, we could have the embryos ready and already tested. Thirdly, for those coming for egg donation (with own sperm), for a regular IVF cycle, or for a frozen-thawed embryo transfer, we need the borders to be re-opened and the flights resumed. Although it depends both on the decision of the patient’s country government and on Argentina’s government, it looks like we will start receiving patients from overseas in September.”

Can International Patients Start Fertility Treatment Now?

“If you were planning to do an IVF overseas, don’t be stressed. Even when treatments are delayed, it will hardly affect your success chances and, hopefully, we will be able to meet soon to do the treatment. My suggestion: get in touch with your overseas doctor to check if you can start working on the screening tests. Or even to ask if the first part of the treatment could be started (i.e. with both donor gametes). If you need a video consultation, just email me and we can set it as soon as possible.”

Dr. Demián Glujovsky, MD MSc is a Specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility has a Master’s in Clinical and Heath Care Effectiveness, and is the Director of Fertility Argentina, the International Patients Department.

Despite COVID-19, fertility treatments continue worldwide. Check out the Fertility Treatment Packages offered by clinics listed on our platform.