Does COVID-19 infection influence patients’ performance during IVF-ET cycle? an observational study

Objective: No information exists in the literature regarding the effect of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection on subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle attempt. We, therefore, aim to assess the influence of COVID-19 infection on IVF treatments. Design: An observational study. Setting: A tertiary, university-affiliated medical center. Patients and methods: All consecutive couples undergoing ovarian stimulation (OS) for IVF, before and after recovering from COVID-19 infection, and reached the ovum pick-up (OPU) stage. The stimulation characteristics and embryological variables of couples undergoing IVF treatments after recovering from COVID-19 infection were assessed and compared to their IVF cycles prior to COVID-19 infection. Main outcome measures: Stimulation characteristics and embryological variables. Results: Nine couples (seven with the female partner infection and two with the male partner) resumed IVF treatment 8–92 d after recovering from the COVID-19 infection (negative polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). No in-between cycles differences were observed in OS and embryological variables between the cycles before and after recovering from the COVID-19 infection, except for a significantly lower proportion of top-quality embryos. Conclusions: COVID-19 infection did not affect patients’ performance or ovarian reserve in their immediate subsequent IVF cycle, except for a reduced proportion of top-quality embryos (TQEs). We therefore suggest, to postpone IVF treatment for a least 3 months (duration of folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis) after recovering from COVID-19 infection, aiming to recruit healthy gametes that were not exposed to COVID-19 infection during their development.