Testes may ‘serve as viral sanctuary’ for SARS-CoV-2, small study shows
Medscape Medical News, February 10, 2022
A small study of nonvaccinated men who died of COVID-19 complications suggests the testes may be a sanctuary for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, raising questions about potential consequences for reproductive health among those infected. Results from the Brazilin and U.S. study emphasize the importance of testicular damage in severe COVID-19, said Dr. Rafael Kroon Campos, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He told Medscape Medical News that other viruses have also been shown to infect or otherwise cause testicular damage such as Zika, Ebola and the closely related SARS-CoV-1. “It is critical to continue to investigate the impact of the disease in testes, including the impact of different variants of concern on testicular damage,” he said. Thailand Medical News also reported the preprint study posted Feb. 8 at MedRxiv.