Another piece of surprising news has come from China. It was found that even after recovery, the COVID-19 virus was found in men’s semen.
And it seems like Coronavirus can be sexually transmitted as well, according to Chinese researchers.
A study in China showed the virus can survive in the male reproductive system
According to a study done by Shangqiu Municipal Hospital, male patients treated during January and February were tested and it was found that 16% of them had the Coronavirus in their semen.
25% of them had an acute level of infection, 9% of them were in recovery, and the rest were recovered.
“We found that SARS-CoV-2 can be present in the semen of patients with COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 may still be detected in the semen of recovering patients.”
But how is this possible?
The good news is that virus cannot increase once it gets inside the male reproductive system, but it will be relatively safe from medicines and even the body’s immunity once it gets inside the testicles.
Testes have a privileged immunity which means that the body’s immune system cannot fully attack this region even if it’s invaded by virus or bacteria. In fact, many viruses can live inside the male reproductive system for months.
And this is why viral spread via semen is pretty common. Even Ebola and Zika virus were found to be spreading via semen, even months after the patient’s recovery.
Can Coronavirus spread through sexual intercourse?
But we don’t know for sure whether Coronavirus can spread via sexual intercourse. Scientists are still waiting to find out if it’s infectious.
But if we do indeed discover that Coronavirus can spread sexually, then it will reveal some more information about how it could have spread so fast.
What should any man do?
Doctors suggest using condoms, or even abstinence to prevent the spreading of Coronavirus – until more information is discovered.
“Abstinence or condom use might be considered as preventive means for these patients. In addition, it is worth noting that there is a need for studies monitoring fetal development.”
There are so many types of physical contact that need to be avoided.
“Therefore, to avoid contact with the patient’s saliva and blood may not be enough, since the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in a recovering patient’s semen maintains the likelihood to infect others.”
Featured Image Courtesy: BBC