Document Type : Review Articles

Authors

1 Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

3 Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY

4 Department of Physics “Giuseppe Occhialini”, University of Milan-Bicocca Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo, 20126 Milan, Italy

5 Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), Via F.Cervi 93, Segrate, 20090 Milan, Italy

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is now spread  worldwide. Therefore, informative and reliable data related to the exact effects of COVID-19 on fertility and pregnancy is still of great interest until the pandemic is declared over. General guidelines regarding the protection and management of COVID-19 have been published and new information will continue to be updated daily.
Methods: In this review, we summarized clinical health guidelines for reproductive and infertility centers to improve quality management in assisted reproductive technology and minimize the potentially harmful consequences of COVID-19 on pregnancy and fertility.
Results: As specified in the literature, protocols consist of five categories, including protocols for couples, protocols for women, protocols for men, labor and delivery, and postpartum and breastfeeding.
Conclusion: General protocols for patients and staff may vary depending on specific conditions. However, this review provides some rules to ensure their safety against the disease during the pandemic.

Keywords

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