Coronavirus and Fertility & Pregnancy

Here’s What Experts Know So Far

Coronavirus is arguably the most discussed topic worldwide in the past few weeks. Almost every news outlet has written about this deadly virus that is spreading rapidly around the world. What effect does the outbreak of coronavirus/COVID-19 have on our fertility, reproductive health, and pregnancy?

Refresher on COVID-19

Coronavirus (CoV) is a big family of viruses. These are commonly present in humans and animals, such as pigs, chicken, and cows. Although this is not common, some coronaviruses from animals can also infect humans. It can then spread among people. This is what happened in the case of SARS-CoV, MERS-COV, and the virus we’re now dealing with. The name of this new virus is “SARS-CoV-2”. The disease it causes is known as “coronavirus 2019” or abbreviated as COVID-19.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the coronavirus outbreak was first discovered in the city of Wuhan, China. Today, the disease is affecting about 100 international locations, including Italy, South Korea, and the USA. In fact, the World Health Organization, in March 2020, declared the coronavirus a worldwide pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) reports that most people have a low risk of exposure to coronavirus. However, the risk of contracting the virus is significantly higher for the following groups of people:

• People over the age of 70 or those with underlying medical conditions. 
• People who have been in contact with those with the virus. 
• Travelers who return from international locations with an ongoing community spread.
• Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in close contact with infected persons.
• People who reside in places with high instances of the disease. 

Initially, you may experience a fever, cough, and shortness of breath between 2-14 days after you have had exposure. Such symptoms might indicate that you have contacted the deadly virus. So, you need to get in touch with your fertility doctor ASAP if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Will Contracting Coronavirus/COVID-19 Now have any Effect on Future Fertility?

Scientists are still conducting research in this area. At the moment, no study is suggesting that the coronavirus has any significant impact on a woman’s fertility or her ability to become pregnant. The panic generated by the virus outbreak has caused a lot of people to consider freezing their eggs. However, there is no reason to be worried if you have not been infected with the virus. 

Should You Stop Trying to Conceive Because of the Effect of Coronavirus on Fertility?

Medically, we don’t see any reason why you should stop trying to become pregnant if you do not have COVID-19. You may feel the need to change your plans due to some psychological, emotional, and logistic reasons. The decision to put a hold on pregnancy due to coronavirus (COVID-19) is a personal one. However, we advise that you talk to your doctor for recommendations.

If you have already contracted a coronavirus infection, we recommend that you put your plans to become pregnant or any other fertility treatment on hold. You should wait until you fully recover before trying to become pregnant. This suggestion persists in both natural pregnancies and through IVF, IUI, or the like).

What Effect does Coronavirus have on Pregnant Women & Fertility?

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that pregnant women do not have a higher risk of having illnesses or fertility-related issues due to COVID-19. So far, just 1 percent of pregnant women, infected with the virus, experienced illnesses that required urgent medical attention.

At the moment, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) doesn’t have any information on adverse pregnancy outcomes in women infected with the coronavirus. However, there still is a need for caution. Previously, we have observed pregnancy loss in pregnant women who contracted other related coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV and MERS-COV.

According to the CDC, it’s still unknown whether a pregnant woman with coronavirus disease can transmit the causative organism to her baby by other means of vertical transmission before, during, and after delivery. So, can a woman carrying pregnancy transmit Coronavirus/COVID-19 to her baby? A study took place with 9 pregnant women who had contracted coronavirus. Each of these women fully recovered from their illness and delivered a healthy, live baby.  And there was nothing to indicate that the mother has passed the disease to the newborn. Also, the researchers could not detect the virus in samples of cord blood, throat swabs, and the amniotic fluid from the baby.

However, COVID-19 has recently been detected in a newborn baby. This means that we cannot completely rule out the possibility of “vertical transmission” (the transmission of the virus from mother to baby”) at this point. Therefore, if you are pregnant or looking to become pregnant, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) advises that you should not travel to places with high instances of the infection unless it’s essential to do so. Additionally, SART has advised pregnant women to go for influenza vaccinations too since seasonal influenza remains a big concern.

What if you are considering or already pursuing Fertility Treatments, such as IVF, IUI, or Egg or Embryo Freezing?

On the 17^th of March 2020, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine set out some new recommendations for clinics. On account of the coronavirus outbreak, they suggest that fertility clinics should:

1. Not start any new fertility treatment cycles until the coronavirus outbreak is suppressed. This includes in-vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and non-urgent egg or embryo freezing.
2. Put all embryo transfers on hold.
3. Continue attending to those who are “in-cycle” or urgently require stimulation or cryopreservation. 
4. Delay non-urgent diagnostic procedures and elective surgeries.
5. Prioritize telehealth over one-on-one contact.

Please contact your fertility doctor ASAP if you are actively pursuing ART and have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Takeaways for Coronavirus & Fertility :

• Studies are still going on this topic. None of the research conducted has suggested that having the COVID-19/coronavirus infection now will make it harder for conceiving pregnancy in the future. 
• At the moment, it seems women carrying pregnancy don’t have a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus/COVID-19.
• Medically speaking, there is no reason for not going ahead with your plans to conceive if you have not been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease. However, you need to know that medical care may be more difficult to come by in the upcoming months. Thus, you may want to delay your plans if possible.
• Fertility clinics are advised to stop all elective procedures due to the coronavirus pandemic. These include, in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and non-urgent egg or embryo freezing. 
• Anyone who meets the diagnostic criteria for the coronavirus infection should stop trying to conceive. They should wait until the infection subsides before pursuing assisted reproductive technology.

Conclusion

If you have any questions regarding your fertility or becoming pregnant amidst the COVID-19 virus, Coastal Fertility is here to support you. Please feel free to reach out to us at (949) 726-0600.  Visit our website at www.coastalfertility.com. You can sign up for a consultation and opt to have the consultation done via skype or on the phone and complete your fertility testing when you are ready to come into our clinic. 

Julianna Nikolic

Chief Strategy Officer Julianna Nikolic leads strategic initiatives, focusing on growth, innovation, and patient-centered solutions in the reproductive sciences sector. With 26+ years of management experience and a strong entrepreneurial background, she brings deep expertise to advancing reproductive healthcare.