New Delhi: COVID-19 has been declared to be an end as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), despite this, the long-term effects of the virus are still lingering around. From heart health to brain the COVID-19 virus has tended to impact people for a long time post-infection. A recent conducted at the University of Paulo (USP) in Brazil has revealed that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 can stay in the sperm of the recovered patients for up to 90 days after hospital discharge and for 110 days after the initial infection.
According to the researchers of the study, this can adversely impact the semen quality of people. The findings of the study have been published in the Journal Andrology, which also suggested that people who are planning to have kids should observe a ‘quarantine’ period after recovering from the virus.
COVID-19 virus detected in semen of 9 out of 13 patients
As per reports and studies, SARS-CoV-2 has rarely been detected in the semen of people, hence to find out the USP study employed a real-time PCR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detect the viral RNA in semen and spermatozoa that was donated by 13 men between the ages of 21 and 50. These were the men who recovered from mild, moderate or severe COVID-19.
Surprisingly, the virus was detected in sperm of 9 out of 13 patients which is about 69.2 per cent patients, the study noted. While 8 out of 11 moderate to severe cases were up to 90 days after hospital discharge. Apart from this, two other patients showed ultrastructural gamete impairement that was almost same to that was seen in COVID-19 patients, suggesting 11 out 13 patients had the virus in their sperm.
Further, the study also discovered, a spermatozoa produced “extracellular traps” that is based on the nuclear DNA, a mechanism commonly known as a suicidal ETosis-like response which is also used to neutralise the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. This finding adds a new function to the sperm’s role in reproduction as they were earlier known to facilitate fertilization.
According to the recent study SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 can stay in the sperm of the recovered patients for up to 90 days after hospital discharge and for 110 days after the initial infection. Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
