COVID-19 infection can potentially damage sperm quality and
reduce fertility in men, AFP reported, stating a new study based on
experimental evidence.

Reportedly, the disease which so far has been the reason for
2.2 million deaths the world over, increases chances of sperm cell death,
inflammation and oxidative stress, as per scientists who published their work in
the journal Reproduction.

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“These findings provide the first direct experimental
evidence that the male reproductive system could be targeted and damaged by
Covid-19,” AFP quoted the authors of the report as concluding in the
journal.

Commenting on the report, however, experts in the topic
highlighted that the virus’ ability to create fertility problems is yet
unproven.

So far, globally there have been more than 100 million
confirmed COVID-19 infections, after the virus first emerged in central China
towards the end of 2019.

The virus disrupts functions of lungs, kidneys, intestine and heart, entering the system initially through respiratory droplets.

According to earlier studies, the pathogen could impact male
reproductive system, including sperm cell development and disrupting hormone
production, but the exact effects for reproductive ability for men remains unclear
as of now.

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The analysis was provided by Hajizadeh Maleki and Bakhtyar
Tartibian, both from the Justus-Liebig-University in Germany, as they conducted
their experiments based on 10-day intervals for 60 days with 84 COVID-19
infected men, as opposed to data for 105 healthy men.

In the first scenario, sperm cells showed a significant
increase in inflammation markers and oxidative stress, indicating chemical
imbalance in the body.