Impact of COVID-19 on assisted reproductive technologies and its multifacet influence on global bioeconomy

Abstract

Several nations of the world have issued instructions such as travel restrictions, border closure, and lockdown, plus other directives proposing that non-essential care must be withdrawn including assisted reproductive services, in an attempt to identify resources to ascertain the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2. This has led to massive shortage in medical supplies, inappropriate service delivery, hike in price, decrease in staff work load, salary cut, decrease in the utilization of qualitative maternal, and reproductive health-care services thereby creating high risk on reproductive health and global bioeconomy. The search for right candidate for the management of coronavirus disease 2019 and several reproductive health challenges begins with the screening of natural products to identify novel active constituent. Moreover, there is need to pay more attention to crucial phytochemical, bioactive fractions, phytoanalysis, and phytopharmacological investigation for effective drug discovery most especially these bioresources from beneficial microorganisms, plants, and ocean deposits that could help in mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 and reproduction health challenges through chemoinformatics, informatics, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and metabolomics hence boosting the global economy.

eHealth, mHealth, and Telemedicine for COVID-19 Pandemic

“…COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. One of the strategies developed by many countries worldwide was enforcement of movement restriction or lockdown [8]. The aim of restricting peoples' movement is to control the spread of the disease [9].…”

Smart Sensing for COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It has been discovered that different healthcare system across different countries have incorporated massive testing devices, sensors and biosensors that help in the identification of COVID-19 on infected patients, as well as provision of potent therapeutic intervention for these patients. Also, several countries have adopted other protocols which entail lockdown regulations most especially in endemic areas that could help in reducing the spread of infection during COVID-19 pandemic [4]. Therefore, to sustain the healthcare system and effectively implement the restriction protocol across the countries, potent approaches to shape the society is highly important.…”

Internet of Health Things (IoHT) for COVID-19

“…Although, it is not only COVID-19 that is characterized by fever, smart thermometer has been extensively deployed in the detection of COVID-19 cases [5]. Smart devices that monitor blood glucose are also helpful especially for diabetic patients, patients with chronic illnesses and the elderly who are being deprived of the opportunity to visit hospital and diagnostic center due to COVID-19 lockdown, restriction of movement, border closure, and social distancing [6]. A great surge was observed in the usage of pulse oximeters during COVID-19 to determine blood oxygen levels at homes [1].…”