COVID 19 INFO

We have introduced following steps to mitigate risks of treatment during Covid-19 pandemic:

• Initial consultation can be performed by Skype or Phone and will provide many answers without having to leave the comfort and security of your home. Given that many patients are working from home, this provides a good opportunity to discuss individual plans and recommended tests.
• Upon entering our office every patient must use a touchless hand sanitizer. All surfaces are disinfected multiple times per day. This is particularly important since it is found that Covid-19 can survive on metal and plastic surfaces for up to 3 days. Patients are also asked to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water once in the bathroom.
• Since there will inevitably be asymptomatic carriers among us, we request all patients and staff members to wear a surgical mask while at the fertility clinic, regardless of any symptoms. Patients with fever, cough or any respiratory symptoms are not allowed to enter the clinic and will be assisted to test for SARS-CoV-2 if needed. We will provide a surgical mask free of charge to any patient if needed. We strongly encourage everybody at all times to wear a surgical mask, since everyone of us could be an asymptomatic carrier. Data suggest that up to 1/3 of all infected individuals are asymptomatic, therefore we need to change our thinking and alter our behavior to assume everyone as potentially infectious.
• We have active air HEPA and UV filtration throughout the office to reduce any potential of aerosol spread. While the legacy assumption distinguishes only droplet and airborne spread, the novel Coronavirus might float in aerosol droplets for some time in a transmission mode somewhere between droplet and airborne spread - thus we advocate that ongoing air filtration should be an active measure to protect enclosed spaces.
• In-person clinic appointments will be spaced out, this way there should never be a second patient present in the waiting room. This allows for enhanced sanitizing procedures between patients. This is our big benefit of being a small clinic.
• Plenty of parking spaces are located next to the clinic and payment is performed without human interaction in open space. We strongly discourage the use of any parking attendants that might contaminate your vehicle and increase exposure.
• Only patients and partners are permitted to appointments. No children, relatives or friends are allowed when visiting our fertility clinic. We also mandate to keep 6 feet distance from all other individuals throughout the clinic.
• The staff in the fertility clinic is kept to a minimum necessary to facilitate the patient visits. We are currently operating with 2 nurses, one receptionist and one billing specialist. All staff have their own individual rooms and more than 4000 sq ft. of clinic space allow for plenty of social distancing.
• All blood draws can be performed at the fertility clinic and there is no need to visit an off-site blood laboratory.
• Fertility medications should be delivered to your home directly from the pharmacy and you should avoid whenever possible to physically go to the pharmacy. We also stock fertility medication for purchase directly in our clinic.
• Semen analysis should be produced at home and dropped off at the office whenever possible. This will minimize unnecessary interactions by avoiding on-site production.
• All paperwork and records can be securely downloaded from your patient portal and printed at home, further reducing any need to leave your home. Our On-line services offer plenty of opportunity to discuss all results and plan treatment remotely.
• The tubal patency test (hysterosalpingogram aka dye test) can be replaced with the office based agitated saline tubal test using the ultrasound. This will reduce the need to visit a separate radiology office that performs the HSG testing.
• We offer on-site testing of any employee or patient even with minimal symptoms consistent with the Covid-19 pandemic. While the testing in the hospital setting should have priority to determine the infectious status of an inpatient and preserve desperately needed personal protective equipment, quickly identifying outpatients with Covid-19 can limit the spread to their own family members and their community and also limit exposure to our fertility center. Ongoing extensive testing, identification and isolation of infected individuals is the the only way we can limit the spread of the virus prior to being able to develop an effective vaccination.