Four of the 15 patients sampled during the acute phase of their COVID-19 illness, had the virus genetic code in their semen.

A Chinese study published in JAMA Network Open, detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA genetic code, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the semen of patients aged 15 years and older who tested positive for the virus.

The immune protection of testicular function is critical for the maintenance of reproduction – the survival of our species. As such, the testis is an immunoprivileged site, protected from severe inflammation associated with the body’s immune response making them ideal cubbyholes where viruses can seek protection.

The Bad

The research conducted at Shangqiu Municipal Hospital in Henan province involved 38 patients undergoing treatment for severe COVID-19. 

Four of the 15 patients sampled during their acute phase of the illness, had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in their semen. Of the twenty-three patients tested shortly after recovering from the disease, two tested positive.

The latest findings differ from a previous study, involving a dozen COVID-19 patients after they recovered from moderate symptoms of the illness.  The study, warned readers to interpreted the results cautiously, reported, “semen and urine samples search for SARS-CoV-2 RNA was negative.”

The Muddy

The one situation where the sexual transmission would be of concern is if the virus survived in the testicles for lengthy periods and if survivors of mild or server COVID-19, including asymptomatic people, can transmit the virus after their recovery.

The Good

A conclusion has not yet been reached on the implications of the latest finding. The presence of viral RNA in the semen does not necessarily mean that an infectious virus is present. 

However, until studies can define how long the infectious virus survives in semen, it would be sensible for people recovering from COVID-19 to use a condom.