A study by the University of São Paulo reveals that COVID-19 can persist in sperm for over three months, potentially reducing semen quality. This research highlights the virus’s significant impact on male fertility and suggests new immune functions for sperm, including pathogen defense. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in male reproductive cells under the microscope even when PCR testing failed to detect the virus in semen.
The discovery serves as a warning of possible implications for natural conception and assisted reproduction. Researchers from the University of São Paulo have discovered that the COVID-19 virus can linger in the sperm of infected individuals for up to 110 days post-infection, impacting semen quality. This finding underscores the virus’s ability to infiltrate and damage the male reproductive system, suggesting a quarantine period for those planning to conceive post-recovery.
Persistence of COVID-19 in Reproductive Systems Scientists have shown for the first time that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can remain in the sperm of patients for up to 90 days after hospital discharge and up to 110 days after the initial infection, reducing semen quality. The study, by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, is reported in an article published in the journal Andrology . The authors suggest that people who plan to have children should observe a period of “quarantine” after recovering from COVID-19.
More than four years after the s.