COVID-19 continues to prove that its long-reaching arms can grip each and every organ and manifest medical issues throughout the body. Joining the long line of studies that have proven this, a recent study published by the Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (USP), revealed that getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 may worsen certain Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) in men.
Effect Of COVID-19 On Urinary Tract
As per the University Of Miami Health System (UMHS), LUTS are characterised by:
- Poor or intermittent urine stream
- Straining to pee
- Sudden urge to urinate
- Waking up many times at night to pee
- Having to pee frequently
- Feeling like you can’t fully empty your bladder
The UMHS informed that men are more likely to experience over the age of 50. The USP study found that following a COVID infection, the study participants who were already plagued with LUTS exhibited an increase in the incidence of urinary retention, blood in the urine, and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI).
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In the study, researchers included 17,986 men who were on medication for LUTS, under Hong Kong’s public health care system 2021–2022. Half of these participants also had a SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of the study.
Assessing this controlled group, the study revealed that those who have COVID-19 presented a 4.55% rate of urine retention, 1.36% rate of blood in the urine, 1.36% rate of UTI, and 9.02% rate of bacteria in the urine. These rates were significantly higher when compared to people who did not have COVID-19 but had LUTS. Interestingly, these symptoms remained the same, regardless of the severity of their SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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The researchers conjectured that this link between the urinary system and COVID-19 could be because certain proteins in the prostate are being specifically targeted by SARS-CoV-2.
Finally, their research also showcased that a SARS-CoV-2 infection has a possible effect on male fertility as well, as the infected participants had several alterations in their sperm count, and lower testosterone levels. However, this does not mean that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted by semen, the study concluded.