The health and safety of all our patients and staff is our absolute priority. We have made changes to the clinic environment, the way we provide treatment and also how we interact with you and each other to make sure it's as safe as possible for you having your IVF treatment with CARE.
In April 2022, the Government lifted the statutory requirements on the use of face coverings and Care no longer requires you to wear one when attending our clinics. We continue to make face masks available to anyone who prefers to wear one.
We encourage a culture of tolerance and support for personal choice – staff or patients should never feel foolish or be challenged for choosing to protect themselves.
Symptoms
We are still adapting to living with COVID 19. Symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:
- continuous cough
- high temperature, fever or chills
- loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
- shortness of breath
- unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
- muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
- not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
- headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
- sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
- diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick
What to do if you have symptoms
Although COVID-19 tests are no longer free, you can still obtain free COVID tests if you have symptoms and you are being admitted to Care for a treatment procedure.
If you have symptoms and you have a high temperature, or you do not feel well enough to work or carry out normal activities, we recommend that you obtain a test kit if you are eligible and perform a test as soon as possible.
A negative result means you are likely not infectious and can attend for treatment if you feel well enough. A positive test result means it's very likely you had COVID-19 when the test was done: you should not attend for treatment but should contact your Care clinic for advice on options. You should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took the test.
If you are unable to take a test, then you should contact us for advice before attending Care.
Some of our clinics are within NHS trusts, and may have different test requirements ahead of an admission for a procedure. Please check with your local Care clinic to see if this applies to you. (Chester and Leeds)
What to do if you are a close contact of someone who has had a positive test result for COVID-19
If you are a contact of someone with COVID-19 but do not live with them or did not stay in their household overnight, you are at lower risk of becoming infected.
People who live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 are at the highest risk of becoming infected because they are most likely to have prolonged close contact. People who stayed overnight in the household of someone with COVID-19 while they were infectious are also at high risk.
If you are a household or overnight contact of someone who has had a positive COVID-19 test result, it can take up to 10 days for your infection to develop. It is possible to pass on COVID-19 to others, even if you have no symptoms. If you have been a contact Care recommends that for the ten days after your exposure, you
- wear a surgical face mask when attending Care for treatment (and wherever you need to have close contact with other people)
- wash your hands frequently with soap and water and/or use hand sanitiser
- stay vigilant to symptoms and take a test if you feel unwell with symptoms of COVID-19
