A new study published Thursday (28) in the journal Reproduction suggests that infection with the New Coronavirus impairs sperm quality in men and that fertility may be severely impaired in patients with severe New Coronavirus pneumonia, CNN reported Jan. 28.
Sperm cells show significantly increased inflammation and oxidative stress
The study states, “The report provides the first direct evidence to date that infection with neocoronavirus impairs semen quality and male reproductive potential.”
The researchers studied 105 men who were not infected with New Coronavirus versus 84 age-matched men who were diagnosed with New Coronavirus pneumonia. All of these men were fertile. The researchers collected semen samples at 10-day intervals and analyzed them for comparison for up to 60 days.
The study found that men with New Coronavirus had significantly increased inflammation and oxidative stress in their sperm cells compared to healthy men without New Coronavirus infection. Their sperm concentration, motility and shape were also negatively affected by the virus. The difference between them increased with the severity of the disease.
The effects on sperm cells are associated with reduced sperm quality and decreased fertility,” according to Bezad Hajizadeh-Maleki, a doctoral student at the University of Giessen in Hesse, Germany. Although these effects will tend to improve over Time, they are still significant in patients with neocoronary pneumonia, and the extent of these changes is also related to the severity of the disease.”
Experts: take it with a grain of salt
Experts not involved in the study expressed skepticism about the study’s findings. Alan Percy, professor of men’s science at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, noted that special care needs to be taken in interpreting the data. He said, “The authors state, for example, that their data suggest that infection with the new coronavirus causes severe impairment of male reproductive function, but in fact only show a correlation.”
“Infection with any virus (such as influenza) can temporarily reduce sperm counts (sometimes to zero) over weeks or months, so it is difficult to calculate how much of the reduction observed in this study was due to the new coronavirus and not just to illness.” Dr. Changna Jayasena, a consultant in reproductive endocrinology and male science at Imperial College London, said in an email, “In addition, it is important to note that there is no evidence of the presence of neo-coronavirus in semen and no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through semen.”
Impact may be temporary
According to Percy, “Since the emergence of the neo-coronavirus outbreak, there have been concerns about whether this coronavirus could have harmful effects on the fertility of infected men.” But he concludes, “Any measurable effect of the new coronavirus on male fertility is likely to be only mild and temporary. The findings of this study may be attributable to other factors, such as the use of drugs to treat the virus.”
Hirna Lewis, professor emerita at Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland, shared an opinion via email, “I am concerned that men with New Coronavirus are significantly heavier and are receiving multiple treatments. We know that obesity itself can reduce sperm quality. New Coronavirus treatment may have also affected the sperm quality of these men, rather than the New Coronavirus itself.”
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