“A robust signal was seen in the male genital tract (MGT) of all three animals studied. Infection of the MGT was validated by immunofluorescence imaging of infected cells in the testicular and penile tissue and severe pathology was observed in the testes of one animal at 2-weeks post-infection.”
This observation is consistent with emerging and ongoing clinical observations of orchitis, oligo-/azoospermia, and erectile dysfunction and reveals these comorbidities are likely a consequence of the direct viral infection of the tissues
“The coronavirus may infect tissue within the male genital tract, new research on rhesus macaques shows. The finding suggests that symptoms like erectile dysfunction reported by some Covid patients may be caused directly by the virus, not by inflammation or fever that often accompany the disease.”
