How will IVF abroad work whilst we are still trying to gain control of the coronavirus?

We have had many emails from readers, asking how and when they will be able to travel abroad again for IVF and how it will work, so we sent your questions to the team at IVF Spain, whose clinic has now reopened for both national and international patients.

How will this work for international patients in terms of travel and accommodation?

The great news is that air traffic has already started which means international patients can get to us. Airlines such as KLM, Air France and also American Airlines are operating on a weekly basis with flights to Spain. We provide all our patients who wish to come to the clinic, with documents required for the transit of borders, in which reference is made to the clinical treatment they are receiving in Spain.

What about accommodation for international patients?

Each region of Spain is evaluated every one or two weeks to see if it can go to the next “phase” until phase 3 and its new normality.

In Alicante, we are right now at Phase one, which means hotels can open (not all of them due to economic reasons) but common areas within the hotel are closed. We have spoken to a colleague who is in charge of hotel reservations for our patients and she told us that most of our partner hotels are open, and that she has had no problems finding a room for the international patients who are already coming to the clinic.

Renting websites are also open, for patients who are staying for a longer period of time and prefer to stay in an apartment.

How are your clinics operating? Are you only allowing a certain number of patients?

We are very lucky in that we have ample space in our clinics to ensure social distancing between work teams, staff, and patients, so we do not need to restrict the amount of patients we welcome into our clinic.

We have put together a very strict timetable, arranged in such a way that patients and their partners can attend their appointments while respecting social distancing rules.

There will no longer be two consultations back to back, to allow the room to be cleaned.

At the entrance to the clinic and at the exit of each of the centre’s units, patients will be able to use strategically place gel dispensers to clean their hands.

Other than social distancing, and staff wearing PPE, our clinics won’t look any different really, apart from the plastic screens on reception desks and counters. Cleanliness, masks and gloves are standard within an IVF clinic!

Are you testing patients and staff for Coronavirus before they continue with treatment?

Thanks to the PCR and immunological tests, we will be testing our workers and patients almost daily, at no cost, to ensure IVF Life clinics are COVID-19-free spaces.

We will also perform these tests on our patients before they return to their home country, to reduce the possibility of quarantine upon their return.

Should patients who have had the virus be concerned that it might affect their fertility?

There are currently no scientific studies or data that indicate that coronavirus has any effect on fertility.

If a woman is about to have fertility treatment with a donor egg, should she be concerned, in case the donor had been infected with COVID-19. Could it affect the baby?

In the cases studied, no vertical transmission from mother to baby has been detected, so the same would apply for your egg donor. Several healthy babies have already been born, whose mothers had the coronavirus at the time of delivery. It is also worth noting that our donors are also tested on regular basis, so there is nothing to worry about.

Does fertility treatment medication make me more vulnerable to coronavirus?

One of the first measures taken by the clinic was to suppress all medications that could weaken the immune system and therefore make the patient more vulnerable to coronavirus.

If you have any more concerns or queries, please do give us a call at the clinic. We can answer all of your questions and put your mind at ease about your treatment.

We wish everyone so much love and plenty of good vibes as they restart their path to parenthood. As always, we are here for you, so drop us any concerns you may have. info@ivfbabble.com