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A recent study on the SARS-CoV-2 virus conducted by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago reveals a surprising finding: the virus is detected in cells within the penis, testes, and blood vessels surrounding the reproductive organs of golden monkeys. Scientists are linking this to the possibility of direct viral involvement in erectile dysfunction in some COVID-infected patients, rather than symptoms resulting from infection or fever.According to the head of the research team, they plan to focus on locating the virus in lung nodules of these monkeys during full-body scans to identify inflammatory sites. This result has caught them off guard as it is an area they had not previously considered.In their report, they found traces on 3 monkeys, but the traces were all very clear and consistent. Therefore, the research team believes this is not a random discovery. The team is also investigating whether these monkeys exhibit symptoms of urinary tract diseases such as decreased testosterone levels, decreased sperm count, pain during intercourse, or erectile dysfunction.
Points of virus detection in the reproductive organs of golden monkeysThis may help reinforce the results of other studies showing that about 10 or 20% of men infected with the virus have symptoms related to urinary tract diseases. Erectile dysfunction has also been added to the list of long covid diseases, as men infected with the virus are three to six times more likely to have this condition than those who are not infected.The next step for the research team is to use PET imaging technology (Positron Emission Tomography) to determine whether the testes are a site of virus reservoir as some previous hypotheses suggest. They will also expand their investigation into the possibility of virus transmission to tissues within the female reproductive system.
