Managing the IVF laboratory during a pandemic: international perspectives from laboratory managers.

Fertility societies worldwide responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by recommending that fertility clinics close, or sharply reduce, the clinical operation, leading to a shift in the management of IVF laboratories in three phases: shutdown preparation; maintenance during shutdown; and restart. Each of these phases carries distinct risks that need identification and mitigation, forcing laboratory managers to rethink and adapt their procedures in response to the pandemic. The sudden and unprecedented nature of the pandemic forced laboratory managers from around the world to base decisions on opinion and experience when evidence-based response options were unavailable.