“Some patients had testicular pain, it can affect fertility …”: studies have shown which organs of the coronavirus are attacked, not just the lungs …

The unknowns about the coronavirus continue, suggesting that scientists will have a long way to go to uncover all the unknowns or the damage it has done or will only do to the health of the world’s population, writes Jutarnji List.

Not only do some patients have numerous complications that can be fatal, but there is also increasing talk of possible long-term health consequences. COVID-19 can affect the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, blood vessels, and possibly men’s reproductive health.

For example, the latest international research suggests that the coronavirus is unlikely to be sexually transmitted, but it is not yet possible to completely exclude this mode of transmission. They are especially concerned that some of the patients with mild COVID-19 have testicular pain, indicating inflammation, which could mean that some of them will have a long-term fertility problem.

The international team of experts in this research was led by Dr. Feng Pan of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. Analysis of sperm samples from 34 Chinese who had mild symptoms of COVID-19 a month ago shows that they were negative for the coronavirus, making the conclusion that the disease is unlikely to be sexually transmitted.

But experts say they cannot rule out the possibility that the virus was in the semen during the infectious period of patients. It was also noted that patients with more serious illnesses were not evaluated, but experts are more concerned about the fact that 19 percent of those infected complain of testicular pain, which could lead to inflammation and then fertility problems. Given that a fifth of sick men have testicular pain, scientists wondered if the virus could spread to sperm and what would be the consequences for men’s reproductive health if they were found in the testicles.

Laboratory tests did not detect SARS-CoV-2 in any of the subjects’ sperm samples, but care must be taken to detect possible testicular damage in patients with coronavirus, especially those of reproductive age. Although the coronavirus is primarily targeted at the lungs and immune system, it is noted, the infection can cause a “weakening of immune testicular homeostasis”, which could cause orchitis or inflammation of the testicles. This could reduce sperm count and possibly lead to infertility, according to the Chinese scientists who conducted this research.

They add that during the 2002 and 2003 SARS epidemic, doctors noticed severe damage to the immune system in some men’s testicles. Therefore, more research is needed because some other viruses, such as those that cause mumps and HIV or herpes, can cause inflammation of the testicles. This fact is the reason why the research continues, not only for the possibility of sexual spread of the disease, but also for the possible consequences on the reproductive health of men.

When it comes to coronaviruses, the lungs are the first to be affected because the respiratory organs are the first to suffer. After all, the major or minor symptoms of COVID-19 are precisely dry cough and respiratory problems. However, even when they recover, some patients still have problems, such as decreased lung function and permanent shortness of breath. Doctors note that these patients have reduced lung function by 20 to 30 percent after healing.

They find it difficult to breathe even when walking a little faster or climbing stairs. These patients showed turbidity after CT CT healing, suggesting that lung damage may have occurred. Pulmonary fibrosis has occurred in some patients as a result of inflammation of the connective tissue in the lungs, making oxygen more difficult to reach the blood vessels, and then breathing is shallow and rapid.

Experts have been especially concerned after monitoring of COVID-19 patients showed that younger people with not always serious illnesses can suffer a stroke. That is, the virus can cause the most damage to blood vessels, whether it is the cause of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) or a problem with clotting, and is especially dangerous when it occurs in the blood vessels of the brain.

A well-known cytokine storm can damage blood vessels and then increase the risk of blood clots that can cause a stroke with stronger or lighter retention. The problem of possible clots is the reason that anticoagulants are administered to patients with severe COVID-19. But about 20 to 40 percent of COVID-19 patients develop blood clots even when taking medications, a US study confirmed. USA

The same danger threatens the heart. The Chinese say that up to 20 percent of hospitalized patients in Wuhan have detected heart damage. How dangerous the coronavirus is to the heart is also indicated by the fact that 44 percent of patients had cardiac arrhythmias. Studies have shown that in almost 40 percent of coronavirus patients, a virus is found in the heart muscle, which means it can cause inflammation and permanently damage it.

Experts recommend that patients should also undergo a cardiac ultrasound to detect damage as soon as possible. Blood vessel problems caused by COVID-19 are the reason that some seriously ill patients may also suffer kidney damage and need dialysis. That is, the kidneys filter the blood and the coronavirus can interrupt it by affecting the blood vessels. Of course, that damage can be permanent, doctors warn.

The least talked about is the impact on mental health. Not only is the severity of the disease what leaves the consequences, but it can also be the isolation that many find difficult to bear. Experts warn that we will only face this problem.

That this is a segment that will receive more attention after the epidemic is confirmed by the psychological helplines that have been fully operational in recent months. At Zagreb’s Psychiatric Vapce Clinic alone, more than 150 people a day sought help over the phone. Scientists say the true extent of the damage to health will increase over the years. That is, it has been a very short time since the pandemic started, and scientific research just goes on.