interesting study w potential long term effects on offspring

Big caveats: Synthetic RNA used, not infection. Dose was high. COVID infections in human children are often mild. Reversibility is unknown. Small groups of animals tested. Human data are mostly from adult men, where semen changes after COVID infection are usually transient. 5/6

How the effect reached the next generation of mice is unknown. The authors suggest altered sperm quality, epigenetic changes, or sperm-borne factors. But, this is an association, not proven inheritance. 4/6

How did this effect the next generation? Pups sired by the COVID recovered males were born smaller and had impaired glucose metabolism at 8 weeks. Litter sizes were normal, so fertility had looked fine on the surface. 3/6

Four weeks later, the testes were damaged. The blood-testis barrier was disrupted, sperm concentration and motility dropped, and testosterone fell sharply. The RNA didn't accumulate in the testis, so the damage points to inflammation, not direct viral invasion. 2/6

What if childhood COVID infections left a mark on fertility years later? A new mouse study asks exactly that. Prepubertal male mice were given synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA (no live virus). It triggered strong systemic inflammatory response, cytokine surge, lung inflammation. 1/6 🧵

I am adopted because dad got mumps at 13-14, before there was a vaccine. Mumps made him sterile. That's entirely preventable, avoidable now.

I think most orthos are still on Twitter, but if any are here, please fill this out for my friend Dave. It’s a quick survey.

Curtis Sliwais, founder of the Guardian Angels, admitted that he was scared to get a shot. Mayor Mamdani told him, "I can hold your hand." And he did. Curtis barely even felt it.

Thanks!

Is your AI chatbot getting its news from partisan "pink slime" sites? 🤖 New reporting says it's easier to fool than you'd think. Plus this week's COVlD news, split into 2 parts. Check it out!👇