Health Headlines - 4-7-20

In today's health headlines we talk about how fertility treatments are being canceled for people because of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.

Skiers are helping doctors through a program called Goggles for Docs where they can donate goggles for eye protection.

THOUSANDS OF WOMEN AND COUPLESACROSS THE COUNTRY... AREGETTING THE DIFFICULTNEWS... THAT THEIR FERTILITYTREATMENTS ARE BEING SUSPENDEDDUE TO THECORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.NEW GUIDELINES RECOMMEND HALTINGNEW CYCLES... OUT OF CONCERNFOR THESAFETY OF PATIENTS... ANDMEDICAL STAFF.SARAH DALLOF HAS THE STORY.FOR FOUR YEARS... ASHLEY ANDGENE CARNES HAVE TRIED TO HAVE ABABY.THEY HOPED THIS MONTH THEY'DFINALLY GET GOOD NEWS.8"IF EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY, IFTHIS WAS STILL ON, WE WOULD HAVEKNOWN IF WE WEREPREGNANT."INSTEAD... THEY GOT A CALL FROMTHEIR FERTILITY DOCTOR: I-V-FTREATMENTS WERE SUSPENDED DUE TOCOVID-19.ASHLEY'S EGG RETRIEVAL WASCANCELED.THE MEDICATIONS TO STIMULATE EGGPRODUCTION ARRIVED THE NEXT DAY.28"IT WAS HEARTBREAKING... MORE TOSEE THE DISAPPOINTMENT AND UPSETIN HER VOICE."AMID THE PANDEMIC... THEAMERICAN SOCIETY FORREPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE HAS ISSUEDNEWGUIDELINES..

ADVISING ITS8-THOUSAND PLUS MEMBERS TOSUSPEND ALL NON-URGENTTREATMENTS...... INCLUDING NEW CYCLES...RETRIEVALS... AND TRANSFERS.DOCTORS LIKE ZARAQKHAN AT THE MAYO CLINIC- WHODOES NOT TREAT THE CARNES- MADETOUGH CALLS TO HIS OWN PATIENTS.1:09"IT'S PROBABLY THE HARDESTTHINGS I'VE DONE IN MY CAREER."DOCTOR KHAN AND HIS DIVISION ARENOW CONNECTING VIRTUALLY WITHTHOSE PATIENTS..ASSURING THEM OF PLANS TO TACKLETHE GROWING BACKLOG OF CASES ASSOON AS THE GUIDELINESARE AMENDED.BUT WHEN?

NO ONE KNOWS YET."THIS IS REALLY A PUNCH IN THEGUT FOR THEM BUT THE MORE I'MTALKING TO PATIENTS, THE MOREPEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING THEGRAVITY OF THE SITUATION." THECARNES SAY THEY UNDERSTAND ANDRESPECT THE NEW GUIDELINES...BUT- LIKE MANY IN THEIRSITUATION- ARE SIMULTANEOUSLYDEVASTATED THEIR LONGWAIT..."WE WERE SO CLOSE."... IS NOW EXTENDEDINDEFINITELY.2URGENT PROCEDURES... INCLUDINGSURGERY FOR ECTOPICPREGNANCIES... OR FREEZING EGGSFOR THOSE WITH LIFE- THREATENINGCONDITIONS... ARE STILLPERMITTED UNDER THE NEWGUIDELINES.SKIERS ARE NOW STEPPING UP TOHELP HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON THEFRONT LINES...THROUGH A NEW PROGRAM CALLED"GOGGLES FOR DOCS".A NEW YORK CITY DOCTOR AND HISAUNT -- A RACE COACH AT A SKIRESORT... HAVECREATED A SHARE SYSTEM WHEREHOSPITALS CAN ADD THEMSELVES TOA LIST...AND PARTICIPANTS CAN DONATE NEWOR GENTLY-USED SKI GOGGLES.SKI GOGGLES ARE GREAT FOR EYEPROTECTION... BECAUSE THEY SEALYOUR FACE...AND DON'T FOG UP EASILY.THE ORGANIZERS SAY... IT'S EASYTO GET INVOLVED."GO TO THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN LOOKAT WHAT HOSPITALS NEED STUFF ANDYOU CAN JUST PACKAGETHEM AND OVER NIGHT IT TO THEADDRESS AT THE HOSPITAL SO THEYGET IT DIRECTLY."SO FAR... MORE THAN 17-THOUSANDGOGGLES HAVE BEEN DONATE