The Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on Pregnancy Outcomes of ART Cycles

Abstract

The aim was to detect the rate of Covid-19 positivity in asymptomatic infertile patients admitted to ART Department during the pandemic and also investigated the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on early pregnancy loss rates and pregnancy outcomes of ART cycles in Turkey. This cross‐sectional study presents an analysis of prospective data collected at a single tertiary hospital. 346 couples were screened for Covid -19 PCR positivity during the pandemic. 185 fresh, non-donor, IVF pregnancies were reviewed in periods of 1 year before and after the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 346 asymptomatic infertile couples were screened for Covid-19 positivity upon admission to the hospital for infertility treatment during the pandemic and Covid-19 positivity was defined as 2.1 %. The groups were compared in terms of clinical and laboratory parameters; there were significant differences in peak E2 levels, gonadotropin duration day, gonadotrophin dose, endometrium thickness, and >14 mm follicle count on HCG trigger day. There were no significant differences in the oocyte, M2, 2PN number, the total number of the embryos between the groups. When the study and control groups were compared in terms of early pregnancy losses the results were found to be similar. Although there was a difference in the drug requirement and response required for ovarian hyperstimulation, no difference was found in the number of oocytes collected, the number of M2, and the number of embryos obtained. In our study, this situation did not affect the rates of early pregnancy loss.