OC Fertility COVID-19 Policy

OC FERTILITY COVID-19 SAFETY POLICY

OC Fertility continues its commitment to Growing Families, Together amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are looking for information on whether or not you should consider getting vaccinated while trying conceive or pregnant, please read this.

Dr. Moayeri and Dr. Sachdev are continually reviewing and updating our policies to maintain the safest possible environment.

Like all healthcare facilities trying to navigate the fluid situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remain flexible and ready to react on a moment’s notice. The information below may not be current, so please email us or call the office if you need more information or clarification. Thank you!

In-Person Visit Policy

To enter our office, we ask that you aheare to the following policies. Please contact us at any time if you have questions.

• You cannot bring anyone to the appointment unless they are also undergoing treatment, i.e. IUI sample collection, blood draw, etc.
• You must wear a mask at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
• We enforce social distancing of 6 feet between individuals.
• We will check your temperature and ask you to complete a mandatory COVID-19 risk screening questionnaire at every appointment.
• We ask you to email us a photo of the front and back of both your ID and healthcare cards before your first appointment.
• We are doing additional cleaning between patients.
• If you're undergoing IVF, egg freezing, embryo banking or Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET), we will perform a COVID-19 test in the middle of the treatment cycle.
  • We recommmend that you consider getting vaccinated, even while trying to concieve or are pregnant.

Ongoing Treatment Policy

• Treatment cycle cancellations may occur if you become ill, show symptoms consistent with COVID-19, have a fever, test positive for COVID-19, or we encounter regulations recommended by agencies that are beyond our control.
• If you are concerned about risks of cancellation during your ovarian stimulation or FET cycle, we encourage you to proceed with COVID-19 testing prior to initiating treatment.
• If you are exposed to COVID-19, have a positive test or symptoms, we are required to halt treatment of any kind until the appropriate quarantine requirements are met:
  • You are fully vaccinated (i.e., More than two weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose series, or more than two weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
  • Are within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series, and
  • Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure
• We recognize that testing alone is not the most accurate way of preventing exposure of COVID-19, thus we ask that you, and anyone in your household, diligently:
  • Wear masks
  • Wash your hands
  • Maintain a 6 feet of distance from others
  • Avoid large gatherings
  • Seriously consider vaccination and/or speak with your doctor about it.

Travel Policy

If you travel on any form of public transport, including airplanes, our practice follows the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommendations, which may be found here.

If you are pregnant, our general recommendation is to avoid travel entirely during the first trimester (12 weeks). If you have a specific question, please discuss with your doctor.

Testing

At this time, OC Fertility advises patients to take the COVID-19 PCR test ("swab" test) and NOT the blood/serum antibody test or rapid antigen swab.

Vaccines

We encourage you to get vaccinated if you are trying to concieve or pregnant. Read Dr. Sachdev's analysis of the data in our most recent blog post, take a look at the infographic below, or watch the video. When in doubt, we always encoruage you to speak with your physician directly.

Pregnant During The Pandemic?

We encourage you to consider participating in the UCSF ASPIRE study (Assessing the Safety of Pregnancy In the CoRonavirus PandEmic), a nationwide study of pregnant women and their offspring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more here.

Support Resources and Services

In addition to OC Fertility and your primary care doctor, the following are reliable and accurate sources of information:

• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Explainer - World Health Organization (WHO)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Travel During COVID-19 (CDC)
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
• California Department of Public Health (CDC)
• OC Health Care Agency
• OC Health Care Agency COVID-19 Testing
• Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction CNN Podcast featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Questions

Please continue to check this page for updates and email us immediately with any questions or concerns.