[Downloaded free from http://www.jhrsonline.org on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, IP: 59.97.86.18] ISAR Pages Joint IFS‑ISAR‑ACE Recommendations on Resuming/Opening up Assisted Reproductive Technology Services Sudha Prasad1, Prakash Trivedi2, Neena Malhotra3, Madhuri Patil4, Dakshinamoorthy Swaminathan5, Sanjay Shukla6, Kedar Ganla7 1 President, Indian Fertility COVID‑19 – A Global challenge on a scale not previously seen. Reproductive Society; Director, Matritava – care is essential for the well‑being of society and therefore the treatment needs to Advanced IVF and Training Center, Delhi, 2President, be completely re‑thought and individualised . Infectivity and mortality rates are Indian Society for Assisted higher than previous pandemics and the disease is present in almost every country. Abstract Reproduction; Director, Propagation and containment have varied widely by location and, at present, the Dr. Trivedi’s Total Health timeline to complete resolution is unknown. With successful mitigation strategies Care Hospital & Aakar in some areas and emergence of additional data, the societies have sanctioned IVF‑ICSI Centre, Mumbai gradual and judicious resumption of delivery of full reproductive care. When India; Gynae Laparoscopist, Urogynecologist & ART we resume, monitor local conditions, including prevalence of disease, status Consultant Fortis Hospital, of government or state regulations, and availability of resource. It is important Mulund, Mumbai, 3Secretary, to implement proactive risk assessment within their practices prior to restarting Indian Fertility Society; services. One needs to develop clear and modified plans to ensure the ability to Professor, Consultant, ART provide care while maximizing the safety of their patients and staff. One should Centre, Department of All also remain informed and stay current regarding new medical findings. These India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, recommendations provide resources for restarting ART practice again. 4Editor in Chief, Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences; Clinical Director, Dr Patil’s Fertility and Endoscopy Clinic, Bangalore, 5President, Academy of Clinical Embryologists, INDIA [ACE]; Scientific Director; Santhathi Centre For Reproductive Medicine, Mangalore, 6Secretary, Academy of Clinical Embryologists; Lab Director, Baheti Hospital & Centre for Reproductive Healthcare, Jaipur, 7Secretary, Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction, Fertility Consultant, Ankur Fertility Keywords: Assisted reproductive technology, COVID‑19, precautions, Clinic, Mumbai, India resumption Address for correspondence: Dr. Madhuri Patil, Dr. Patil’s Fertility and Endoscopy Clinic, This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to E‑mail: [email protected] remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. Received: 06‑04‑2020 For reprints contact: [email protected] Accepted: 06‑04‑2020 Published: 09‑07‑2020 Access this article online How to cite this article: Prasad S, Trivedi P, Malhotra N, Patil M, Quick Response Code: Swaminathan D, Shukla S, et al. Joint IFS-ISAR-ACE recommendations on Website: resuming/opening up assisted reproductive technology services. J Hum www.jhrsonline.org Reprod Sci 2020;13:82-8. JHRS_109_20 is a Joint IFS‑ISAR‑ACE Recommendations on Resuming/ DOI: Opening up Assisted Reproductive Technology Services. Being a joint 10.4103/jhrs.JHRS_109_20 statement from IFS and ISAR I as an editor of JHRS give permission for it to be simultaneously published in FSR along with JHRS. 82 © 2020 Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow [Downloaded free from http://www.jhrsonline.org on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, IP: 59.97.86.18] Prasad, et al.: ART practice post‑COVID‑19 Introduction c. Sufficient facilities for separate cryostorage of he novel coronavirus pandemic globally has created gametes and embryos from cycles undertaken during Tan unprecedented situation with major challenges this period that will continue as we understand the pattern of d. Have clear policy on the number of cycles/patients this disease. Besides effects on the health systems, the clinic can handle and not violate the government’s the illness has made a major impact on the economic policy that demand adequate interval between attending patients and have means to implement the and social framework of our societies. In keeping with [1] the lockdown since March 23, 2020, imposed by the same e. Unit that has adequate supply of personal‑protective Government of India, wherein only emergency services equipment (PPE) for staff, drugs and media and were permitted, all assisted conception units across consumables for committed patients the country stopped work. However, as the situation f. Fair and scientific approach on making their policies unfolds, the government at the center relaxes the on education and training of staff lockdown permitting nonessential services in a gradual g. Willing to triage patients and undertake only patients manner; it is time to consider reassuming infertility tested negative for COVID‑19 services in keeping with the guidelines set by the h. Have a close liaison with another clinic so that they Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This document can transfer patients in times of unintended critical is drafted to provide centers across the country a situation so that the clinic can undertake trouble guidance as to how should they restart the services. shooting to reopen at the earliest The recommendations, however, are to be practiced in i. Have a written code of conduct for patients and keeping with the prevailing regulations set up by the staff that explains need of physical distancing, and health services of their state. These are based on the maintaining etiquettes that mitigate the disease in the understanding of the COVID‑19 disease as of today clinic and shall change with evolving scientific, political, and j. All patients to have the Arogya Setu app economic situations. downloaded on their mobile phones before start of Fundamental Principle the treatment. The fundamental principle guiding all units is to Diagnostic services implement all the measures to protect their patients and These can be resumed as part of the initial phase of [2] staff on priority and minimize the chance of spread of re‑opening. Only start with couples that are triage COVID‑19. Units providing infertility services should negative. be willing and prepared to modify their services in a. Semen analysis terms of available framework and human resource i. Ensure husband is negative for COVID with to meet the demanding situation. This shall involve reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction triage of patients while commencing and continuing (RT‑PCR) (preferable) the treatment cycle, besides regular triage of the staff. ii. This may be done taking precautions with Further, all units should have their standard operating adequate PPE, as preliminary data suggests procedure (SOP) in place and a code of conduct, for the presence of virus in semen, with 15.8% both the patients and staff. The key areas that need men confirming positive for severe acute guidance include: respiratory syndrome (SARS)‑COV‑2 in semen collected from men with positive RT‑PCR on Units to reassume nasopharyngeal swabs.[3] All units can restart (stand‑alone unit, chain of fertility b. Hormone assays units, corporate set up units, or ones in institutions) their c. Saline sonography services provided they take into consideration: d. HSG – Mostly done at radiology suites. However, a. Willing to start services in a phased manner in institutions to be done with all precautions and beginning with diagnostic services, controlled ovarian adequate PPE hyperstimulation, and timed intercourse intra‑uterine e. Office hysteroscopy. insemination (TI/IUI), and subsequently with in vitro i. Office diagnostic hysteroscopy may be done fertilization (IVF) over 2–3 weeks with local para or intracervical block (2).[4] Total b. Sufficient clinical staff, in‑house embryologists, and intravenous anesthesia may be another choice nurses that can work in shifts and a back‑up team ii. For hysteroscopic resection of intracavitary lesion in case any need quarantining if suspected or tested regional anesthesia to be preferred, safeguarding COVID positive the risks to anesthetist from GA. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences ¦ Volume 13 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ April-June 2020 83 [Downloaded free from http://www.jhrsonline.org on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, IP: 59.97.86.18] Prasad, et al.: ART practice post‑COVID‑19 f. Laparoscopy g. The additional costs involved in testing shall be Elective laparoscopic procedure should be borne by the patient based on the principle of prioritization based h. That information on the effects of COVID‑19 infection on the urgency of fertility treatment. However, on fertility treatment and early pregnancy are limited. emergency laparoscopies for ectopic pregnancy However, there is no evidence that infection increases and adnexal torsion should be performed in view risk of fetal malformations or miscarriage at present[1,2,9,11] of the underlying urgency. During laparoscopy i. In case the staff at the hospital tests positive for aerosolization can take place during anesthesia and COVID‑19, during treatment cycle, patient will be pneumoperitoneum.