Abstract
To date, there is limited information about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen especially in the acute phase of the infection. While available data from cohort studies including a total of 342 patients in the acute or recovery phase of the infection are reassuring, one study mentioned detecting virus in the semen of 6/38 COVID-19 patients. Here we assessed SARS-CoV-2 presence in the semen of COVID-19 positive patients in the acute stage of infection, within 24 hours of the positive nasopharyngeal swabs. Semen, seminal plasma and spermatozoa pellet were screened for SARS-CoV-2 and manual or airborne contamination during semen sampling. Among the 32 COVID-19 volunteers, the median interval from the onset of symptoms to semen collection was 4 days [IQR: 0-8]. Only one presented positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR in semen and seminal plasma fractions, although the spermatozoa pellet was negative. Viral cultures were all negative. We observed slightly higher concentrations of bacterial DNA in the SARS-CoV-2 positive specimen than in all negative samples. The bacteria identified neither confirm nor rule out contamination by oropharyngeal secretions during collection. SARS-CoV-2 was rarely present in semen during the acute phase of the disease. This very rare situation could be connected to oral or manual contamination during semen collection. The possible presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen calls for nasopharyngeal viral testing and strict hygiene protocols during semen collection before assisted reproductive attempts.
Highlights
In December 2019, a newly identified coronavirus named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic [1]
This study reported no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in the semen, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa pellet samples of 31/32 (97%) enrolled COVID-19 patients in the acute phase of the disease, in line with previous studies [22–24]
We detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 within the semen sample and the seminal plasma fraction of one COVID-19 patient (3%) in the acute stage of the disease
Summary
Due to the few reports about the presence of SARS-CoV-2 data in semen to date and questions surrounding the infection risks of medically assisted reproduction while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, we aimed to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 could be detected in semen, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa pellet samples of COVID-19 positive patients in the acute phase of infection ( 8 days after the onset of symptoms)
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