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  2. OVOBANK RESETS ITS ACTIVITY WITH ALL SECURITY MEASURES

OVOBANK RESETS ITS ACTIVITY WITH ALL SECURITY MEASURES

As we already know, on March 14 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, donors and workers from possible contagion.

On the other hand, this cessation of activity allowed us to donate our medical supplies to the public hospitals of our county as an act of solidarity, making our facilities available to the Public Health for their use if necessary.

Now, after the confirmation of the Ministry of Health that assisted reproduction services can be reactivated and after the implementation of all the preventive measures recommended by the different scientific societies, in addition to other complementary measures that our quality department has decided to implement, we are in a position to open our doors offering the maximum security guarantees to our collaborators, donors and workers.

It is extremely important for us to share with you some of the 90 measures that we have implemented in our facilities, clinic operative procedures, for our workers, as well as in the different stages of the donation process, also including the subsequent shipment of the oocytes to their destination.

OUR CLINICS

Protection screens have been installed in reception, consultations, common areas and as separation of workstations.

A mask and gloves are provided to those who access our clinics and hydroalcoholic gel dispensers have been installed in all rooms.

It has been equipped with the necessary signposts to maintain the established safety distance.

Individualized waiting rooms and / or capacity control and restricted access to the clinic.

It will be disinfected by UV light after each surgical procedure between patient and patient.

It will be disinfected daily with ozone systems in the different common areas.

OUR WORKERS

The analysis for Covid-19 has been performed through RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal intakes and Antibody dosing (IgA and IgG by ELISA) to rule out the presence of the virus before incorporation into the workplace.

All of them strictly follow the safety protocols and the correct use of EPIS but also a daily temperature monitoring.

OUR DONORS

Before starting the treatment (programming the cycle, between 1-3 weeks in advance):

It will be assessed whether the visit must be in person or can be via videoconference in order to avoid unnecessary risks.

As far as possible, the presence of the companion will be restricted and we will try to reduce it to a single person (preferably, always the same person).

The temperature will be taken with infrared thermometers for the donor and / or the companion. In the event that the donor has a temperature higher than 37º C, the appointment will be postponed until a diagnosis is confirmed.

Clinical interview oriented through an Epidemiological Evaluation Questionnaire for patients / donors to determine the risk of exposure to Covid-19.

The nursing staff will only enter the consultation to carry out the exploration, control ultrasound or sample collection.

Covid-19 triage prior to the start of stimulation through the determination study that the doctor considers appropriate in each of the possible scenarios (vaccinated donors, donors who passed the infection, etc.), to rule out the presence of the virus before starting the treatment.

During treatment and prior to follicular puncture:

The risks and health status of the egg donor will continue to be assessed throughout the treatment.

A guided clinical interview and new triage will be carried out through RT-PCR in naso-pharyngeal intakes before follicular puncture to rule out the presence of the virus.

OUR LABORATORIES

As of today there is no scientific evidence that the virus is present in reproductive biological material (oocytes, sperm, embryos) or in related biological fluids (follicular fluid, semen) or in genital secretions (vaginal, uterine).

On the other hand, our laboratories are provided with equipment that allows us to work with containment level 2 (CL 2). They are designed to guarantee the necessary positive pressure conditions to make it a pathogen-free room and are equipped with vertical laminar flow cabinets and air filter systems. In addition, our laboratories have portable air purification units based on the latest Plasma technology combined with high-efficiency filters (HEPA), this technology deactivates microorganisms and viruses at DNA / RNA level.

Furthermore, a wide range of protocols have been activated to prevent contagion among our embryologists with individual and specific protection measures to maintain their health and safety and the biological material they process, passing through strict quality controls, cleaning and disinfection.

On the other hand, gametes are stored in special cryo-containers for the maintenance of cryopreserved cells that keep them safe from possible spread of the virus from outside.

OUR DELIVERIES

We have established a protocol for the reception, cleaning and disinfection of transport containers, both metal trunks and cryogenic containers, used in shipments for our collaborating centers. This procedure will be carried out with each and every one of the containers before being sent to a new destination center.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. I want to apply to Ovobank, how can I do it?

    You can send us your request through the Ovotracker platform, the Ovomatch app or directly from our website by filling in the form designed for it. Once done, a member of our team will contact you to inform you about the process.

  2. Will donors be tested in some way to ensure they are free of coronaviruses?

    As previously mentioned, our objective is to guarantee the safety of donors and workers.

    To meet this objective and minimize the risk of contagions or cancellations in treatments, we will carry out a double study of our donors.

    Before the start of the stimulation, a guided clinical interview will be carried out, as well as the PCR. Also, before follicular puncture, the PCR test will be performed again.

  3. Have mandatory security measures been implemented to minimize the risk of COVID-19?

    To guarantee safety, we have implemented innumerable measures in our clinics, not only those recommended by the health care authorities, but also other complementary measures that we have considered appropriate to reinforce the security. These measures have been established at all levels, both before the donor comes to the center and during the different stages of treatment (please review detailed information in the previous text).

    Furthermore, all our workers have been tested for the Covid-19 by PCR before joining their workplace and follow a strict safety protocol to minimize the risks of contagion.

    On the other hand, a large amount of resources has been invested for the installation of protection partitions, UV lights and ozone disinfection systems to guarantee the minimum risk of the presence of the virus in our clinics.

  4. Can my genetic material be spread in the laboratory?

    No, there is no scientific evidence that this can happen. 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.

  5. Is it possible to ship oocytes to my assisted reproduction center?

    Due to travel restrictions, at this time we do not ship “Lab to Lab”, both by air and land.

    However, we work with different specialized courier companies that allow us to send the oocytes to their destination center in complete safety. However, before proceeding with the shipment, we analyze each case to ensure that it can be carried out and minimize the risk of any incident.

  6. Is there any risk of contagion during shipping?

    Our shipments are carried out in special dry-shippers (nitrogen vapors) for the transport of cells that allow gametes to arrive in perfect condition to their destination center. Alson, these containers are protected by safety boxes, closed with numbered clips, which provide them with extra protection and prevent handling during shipping, and at the same time allow us to monitor in real time the conditions of temperature, humidity, pressure and GPS location during transport.

    In addition, before making a new shipment, we carry out a strict control and disinfection of each transport container to reduce the risk between one shipment and another.

  7. In the event that my clinic cannot receive the shipment yet, can I keep my oocyte batch reserved in Ovobank?

    Many clinics and assisted reproduction centers are still restarting the activity little by little, therefore Ovobank is available for collaborating centers and patients to make their request, select the most compatible donor and keep the reserved batch in our laboratory at no additional cost until the center can receive the shipment normally.

  • Llámenos (inglés)

    OVOBANK

    Specialists in Assisted Reproduction

    Call us: (+34) 951 087 975 We help you.

  • Colaboradores

    Partner 1

  • Reconocimiento UE (inglés)

    Ovobank is recognized by the EU and by the Spanish health authorities as an authorized bank for the cession of gametes and embryos to Spanish public hospitals and private clinics, and other EU countries. We collaborate with clinics and assisted reproduction specialists in several countries of the European Union, allowing thousands of couples carry out their dream of achieving parenthood.