December 7, 2020
Dear Patients,
We have updated our policy to reflect the regional Stay Home Order.
What's New
Given the Stay Home Order, all consults—new and return, and follow ups—are now conducted remotely as telemedicine visits. Any patient who needs an ultrasound to determine or continue their treatment plans will continue to receive them.
As a reminder, our update as of December 4th is still in effect—if you have traveled, or been exposed to risk, our quarantine requirement is updated to 10-days OR 7-days IF you receive a negative test result after day 5 of exposure risk.
If you meet any of the following conditions, you are subject to our quarantine requirements stated above:
- Travel to destinations outside of California
- Travel via commercial airplanes or trains
- Travel on a cruise ship or river boat
- Attend a gathering or crowded event, such as a wedding, funeral, party, concert, or parade, with individuals outside of your household
- Attend any event with more than 10 people in attendance—or members outside your household—where mandatory masking and social distancing is not enforced.
Please note that public transit in all forms is discouraged.
OC Fertility COIVD-19 Safety Policy
To provide the highest quality of care, and limit exposure to the virus transmission, we continue to enforce our COVID-19 Safety Policy:
- All patients must complete a COVID-19 risk screening questionnaire before each appointment.
- Masks are mandatory at ALL times while in the office for patients and staff.
- Temperature checks are required upon arrival at OC Fertility.
- We clean and disinfect high touch surfaces even more frequently.
- We schedule telehealth visits in place of in-person appointments wherever possible.
- We enforce physical distancing of 6 feet for patients and limit the number of patients scheduled to allow for this.
- Unfortunately, we cannot allow partners, family members, or friends at attend appointments with you.
- Treatment cycle cancellations may occur if a patient becomes ill, shows symptoms consistent with COVID-19, has a fever, tests positive for COVID-19, or we encounter regulations recommended by the CDPH, CDC, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and/or any governmental agencies that are beyond our control.
- For those patients concerned about risks of cancellation during their ovarian stimulation or Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycles, we encourage you to proceed with COVID-19 testing PRIOR to initiating treatment. For all patients undergoing IVF, egg freezing, embryo banking or FET, OC Fertility performs testing during the middle of the treatment cycle.
- Any patient who develops a positive COVID-19 test—or symptoms of COVID-19—will be required to halt treatment of any kind until the appropriate quarantine requirements set by the CDPH, CDC, and/or ASRM are met.
- We recognize that testing alone is not the most accurate way of preventing exposure of COVID-19, which is why we recommend ALL patients proceed with diligent mask wearing, hand washing, and maintaining social distancing while avoiding large gatherings.
Testing Services
At this time, Orange County Fertility advises patients to use the viral COVID-19 PCR for testing ("swab" test) and NOT the blood/serum antibody test or rapid antigen swab, which is the one many urgent cares and bedside /offices are doing.
In addition to our clinic, the following facilities may be able to accommodate your COVID-19 PCR testing needs:
Vaccines
For those interested in vaccination programs, please see our post for the latest guidance or speak with your physician directly.
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) - World Health Organization (WHO)
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) COVID-19 online education
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 information and resources
- California Department of Public Health State COVID-19 resources
- Orange County Health Care Agency COVID-19 Local Resources
- Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) COVID-19 Resources
- 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.
As always, our mission is Growing Families, Together safely, through this challenging time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping keep our clinic a safe space!
Warmly,
The OC Fertility Team
