CORONAVIRUS DETECTED IN SPERM OF INFECTED MEN
Chinese scientists have
detected coronavirus in the semen of infected men but say further research will
be needed to determine whether the virus can be sexually transmitted.
The findings from a study
of coronavirus patients at a Chinese hospital were published on Thursday in the
JAMA Network Open medical journal.
COVID-19 is spread through
respiratory droplets or contact and the virus has also been detected in feces,
saliva and urine. Researchers at the Shangqiu Municipal Hospital in China’s
Henan Province conducted a study to determine whether the virus was present in
semen. They tested the semen of 38 coronavirus patients aged 15 to their 50s.
AFP reports that genetic
material from the coronavirus was found in the semen of six patients — four of
whom were at the “acute stage of infection” and two of whom were “recovering.”
The researchers noted that
the study was “limited by the small sample size” and further research would be
required to determine whether the virus can be sexually transmitted.
“If it could be proved
that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted sexually in future studies, sexual
transmission might be a critical part of the prevention of transmission.
“Abstinence or condom use
might be considered as preventive means for these patients,” the study said.
Post a Comment