Fertility Preservation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mitigating the Viral Contamination Risk to Reproductive Cells in Cryostorage

Overview

Journal Reprod Biomed Online

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Reproductive Medicine

Date 2020 Oct 9

PMID 33032909

Citations 9

Authors

Satish K Adiga

Prathima Tholeti

Shubhashree Uppangala

Guruprasad Kalthur

Roberto Gualtieri

Riccardo Talevi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Reopening fertility care services across the world in the midst of a pandemic brings with it numerous concerns that need immediate addressing, such as the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the male and female reproductive cells and the plausible risk of cross-contamination and transmission. Due to the novelty of the disease the literature contains few reports confirming an association of SARS-CoV-2 with reproductive tissues, gametes and embryos. Cryobanking, an essential service in fertility preservation, carries the risk of cross-contamination through cryogenic medium and thus calls for risk-mitigation strategies. This review aims to address the available literature on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on tissues, gametes and embryos, with special reference to the possible sources of cross-contamination through liquid nitrogen. Strategies for risk mitigation have been extrapolated from reports dealing with other viruses to the current global crisis, for safety in fertility treatment services in general, and specifically for oncofertility.

Citing Articles

Effects of COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination on the Female Reproductive System: A Narrative Review.

Pourmasumi S, Kounis N, Naderi M, Hosseinisadat R, Khoradmehr A, Fagheirelahee N Balkan Med J. 2023; 40(3):153-164.

PMID: 37114907 PMC: 10175880. DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2023.2023-3-4.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ovarian tissue cryopreservation planning in the Bologna clinical center.

Magnani V, Vicenti R, Fabbri R, Paradisi R, de Meis L, Raimondo D Front Oncol. 2023; 12:1069274.

PMID: 36591478 PMC: 9800034. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1069274.

Impact of COVID-19 on fertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART): a systematic review.

Sandulescu M, Vaduva C, Siminel M, Dijmarescu A, Vrabie S, Camen I Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2023; 63(3):503-510.

PMID: 36588488 PMC: 9926143. DOI: 10.47162/RJME.63.3.04.

SARS-CoV-2, fertility and assisted reproduction.

Ata B, Vermeulen N, Mocanu E, Gianaroli L, Lundin K, Rautakallio-Hokkanen S Hum Reprod Update. 2022; 29(2):177-196.

PMID: 36374645 PMC: 9976972. DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac037.

Can We Cryopreserve the Sperm of COVID-19 Patients During the Pandemic?.

Wu Y, Zhang X, Wang Z, Xia X Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022; 13:753267.

PMID: 35712235 PMC: 9197193. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.753267.

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