As we already know, on 14th March the Spanish government proclaimed a state of alarm due to the situation experienced by Covid-19 in our country. Following the recommendations of our scientific societies in the field of assisted reproduction, we decided to postpone the different treatments that were being carried out to protect our patients and staff from possible infection.
On the other hand, this stop to our activity allowed us to donate the material that we had to the public hospitals of our province as an act of solidarity and liberate our facilities to leave them at the disposal of the Public Health for their use if need be.
Now, after the confirmation of the Ministry of Health that assisted reproduction services can be reactivated and after the implementation of all the recommended preventive measures and other complementary measures that our quality department has decided to implement, we are in a position to open our doors on 11th May offering the maximum guarantees of safety to our patients and donors.
It is vitally important that you participate in these measures. As soon as you arrive at the clinic, as well as during the course of treatment, you will perceive a series of measures that we would like to announce:
BEFORE COMING TO THE
CLINIC
- We will request you respect appointment times with the intention of minimizing the number of patients in the Clinic.
- Length of appointments will be modified to avoid overlapping of patients in the clinic.
- We will assess whether the appointment needs to be in person or if it could be done by videoconference to avoid unnecessary risks.
- We will ask you to come alone as often as possible and we will try to reduce this to a single person (preferably the same person each time).
- You are asked to report any changes in health status during the duration of the treatments.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE CLINIC
- Temperature will be taken, using infrared thermometers, of both members of the couple and / or the companion. In the event that the patient has a temperature above 37º C, another appointment will be provided.
- We will maintain the established safety distance of 1.5 meters
- You will find we have installed protective screens.
- You Will be given a mask if you don’t have one.
- If you are wearing gloves you Will be asked to dispose of them and you Will be given a new pair.
- We will give you instructions on hand hygiene, limitation of movements within the clinic and when appropriate we will provide you with adequate protective equipment.
ONCE IN THE MEDICAL CONSULTATION ROOM
- The Epidemiological Evaluation Questionnaire for patients will be valued.
- We will avoid hand shaking or greeting each other with two kisses.
- You will have hydroalcoholic gel for frequent use.
- We will establish a minimum distance of between 1 and 2 meters between the patient (eventual companion) and the doctor.
- We will also make use of a protective screen in consultation.
- Both patient and companion and the doctor will use masks.
- The nursing staff will only enter at the time of exploration, ultrasound or sample collection.
- Upon finishing, the equipment and furniture used by the patient will be cleaned and disinfected.
RECOVERY
ROOM / PACU
- We will give you a mask and gloves for you to wear at all times whilst you are in PACU.
- We will ask you to avoid coming with bags and purses or we will give you a disposable bag to dispose of when finished.
- Once the patient’s procedure is finished, general cleaning and disinfection will be carried out using an ultraviolet lamp.
IN THE OPERATING ROOM
(FOR EGG COLLECTION, EMBRYO TRANSFER, TESTICULAR BIOPSY…)
- You will wear a surgical mask and gloves.
- All staff involved in the process: gynaecologist, nurses and anaesthetist will be provided with eye protection, surgical mask, long-sleeved surgical gown, gloves and hat.
- Once the patient’s procedure is finished, general cleaning and disinfection will be carried out using an ultraviolet lamp.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
AND NOW…… WHAT SHOULD I DO?
First of all, you must confirm that you wish to start treatment, once done, don’t worry, we will contact you and we will assess each case individually in order to establish a safe and progressive return to our clinics.
It will not be necessary, online consultations will continue to be available and in fact we encourage you to arrange an appointment to continue answering all your questions and to continue moving forward, completely free of charge.
Yes, in the event that you have or have had a fever, or if you have been in contact with someone who has suffered from the virus, you must inform us to postpone the appointment until you have recovered and you should consult your doctor.
On the other hand, come alone as much as possible, be on time, come with a mask and remember that we will only be taking card payments to avoid contact with cash.
We have implemented numerous measures, the recommended ones and other complementary measures that we have considered convenient to take extreme precautions. These measures have been established at all levels, both before the patient comes to the centre and during the different phases of treatment (read the details in the previous text).
Furthermore, all our employees have been tested for Covid-19 by PCR before coming back to their workplace and follow a strict safety protocol to minimize the risks of contagion.
On the other hand, FIVMarbella has invested a lot of resources for the installation of protective screens, ultraviolet lamps and ozone disinfection systems to ensure minimal risk of presence of the virus.
We will evaluate the medical history of all patients to see if resuming treatment is possible in those who do not suffer from underlying conditions, such as chronic lung, chronic kidney, cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension and immunosuppression, among others.
This procedure is intended to avoid any complications that may arise, since these are risk factor illnesses that can present complications due to COVID-19 in pregnancy if the patient is infected. If this occurs, postponement of pregnancy will be recommended for a few months to value the pandemic and what measures could be taken.
As mentioned previously, our aim is to ensure the safety of patients, donors and staff.
To meet this objective and minimize the risk of contagions or cancellations in treatments, we will carry out the PCR test before starting treatment, as well as before egg collection, insemination or transfer.
No, there is no scientific evidence that this can occur. According to the latest scientific studies, the virus has not been found in either sperm or egg cells. In addition to this, our laboratory is under strict security measures and is fully prepared to work with type 2 infectious agents.