Does COVID-19 really affect male fertility?

In 10 seconds? A new study suggests men infected with COVID-19 may experience poor fertility outcomes but these can be prevented by vaccination.

What’s in the study? Researchers analyzed the impact of COVID-19 infection on the sperm count and testicular damage in an animal model using hamsters. After four days of infection, sperm count was significantly reduced in all infected Syrian hamsters compared to non-infected. Interestingly, researchers noted ongoing changes in male fertility long after clearance of the virus from the lungs, with a significant reduction in size and weight of testicles and sperm count 3 months after infection.