Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction (Oct 2024)

Resolution of sperm quality impairment following SARS-CoV-2 infection: A prospective study

  • Marzieh Derakhshan,
  • Maryam Derakhshan,
  • Elham Naghshineh,
  • Minoo Movahedi,
  • Hatav Ghasemi-Tehrani,
  • Fatemeh Bamarinejad,
  • Atefeh Bamarinejad,
  • Zeinab Omidvar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/apjr.apjr_55_24
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 5
pp. 207 – 212

Abstract

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Objective: To investigate the length of time required to resolve COVID-19 effects on semen quality and DNA integrity. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 42 men who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and underwent semen analysis at baseline and four months’ post-recovery. Semen samples were collected and evaluated for macroscopic and microscopic parameters, sperm chromatin maturation, and DNA fragmentation. Results: The mean age of participants was 37(±7) years, and 14% had normozoospermia at baseline. After a four-month recovery from COVID-19, 48% of patients had normozoospermia. Sperm count, motility, and morphology increased significantly, while sperm DNA fragmentation and sperm chromatin maturation decreased significantly post-recovery from COVID-19. Conclusions: Sperm parameters improve after a four-month recovery from COVID-19. The findings indicate significant improvements in sperm count, motility, morphology, DNA fragmentation, and chromatin maturation after a four-month recovery period.

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