Examining the Evidence: Can COVID-19 Affect Fertility? Can It Affect the Fetus?
Appeared in BioNews 1077
While the COVID-19 pandemic has been sweeping through the world, people have tried to carry on with their lives as much as possible. For many people this includes expanding their families, or undergoing fertility treatment. The second session at the Progress Educational Trust conference 'Fertility, Genomics and COVID-19', chaired by Fiona Fox, chief executive of the Science Media Centre, cast an expert look at whether COVID-19 affects fertility, and the health of a developing fetus.
The first speaker was Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield. He outlined what he considered to be a plausible hypothesis of how COVID-19 might impact male fertility. The virus responsible for the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, enters human cells through a structure known as the ACE2 receptor. ACE2 receptors are concentrated in certain cell types, tissues, and organs of the body. These include, for example, the kidneys, the vascular system, the airway – but also, the testes. Studies have indicated that when the SARS-CoV-2 virus engages with ACE2, it prevents the receptor from carrying out normal functions for the body, and so can lead to local tissue damage and inflammation.