COVID-19 may cause men's testicles to swell and potentially impair their ability to have children, doctors warn.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine (AJEM) published a report in August about a patient suffering from testicular pain as a symptom of COVID-19.
A healthy 37-year-old male was taken to A&E with swelling and pain in his scrotum after testing positive for the virus.
The patient had developed testicular pain over the past three days before he sought medical help.
The AJEM noted that semen in males affected with COVID-19 can demonstrate "impaired spermatocyte quality, potentially having a future impact on male fertility".
"With the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, rare reproductive complications should be characterised," the report said.
Similar reports of testicular pain in COVID-19 patients have been reported but there has still been no real research into the link.
But doctors hope to raise awareness about this to help other medics "identify this disease at the earliest junction and trigger appropriate treatment, quarantine, and fertility follow-up".
