The latest The United States has entered yet another "pivotal moment" in the pandemic, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. The delta variant of the coronavirus is "one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of and that I have seen in my 20-year career," she told reporters Thursday. That more transmissible form of the virus is now responsible for more than 8 in 10 U.S. cases. The White House pledged an additional $1.6 billion to fight outbreaks with tests and prevention. But officials did not respond to questions about a renewed push for masks, which The Washington Post reported Wednesday was in discussion. Coronavirus outbreaks are worsening in Asia and Australia, where the delta variant is spreading, too. Southeast Asia is especially vulnerable because that region is one of the least-vaccinated places on the planet. Travel bans have resumed, such as the Philippines' restrictions against travel from Malaysia and Thailand. Thailand, in turn, is closing public spaces and parks in Bangkok. And, in Tokyo, the Summer Olympic Games have begun. Of the roughly 600 U.S. Olympians who reported their health histories to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, more than 83 percent of athletes are vaccinated against the coronavirus. Still, that means more than 100 of their fellow U.S. competitors also living in the Olympic Village are unvaccinated. So far, positive test results have prevented two U.S. athletes, one gymnast alternate and one volleyball player, from competing. Both said they had been vaccinated. Hours after protesters chanted "Go to hell, Olympics!" in a Tokyo district, the event was underway. Reporters Simon Denyer and Michelle Ye Hee Lee likened the Olympics opening ceremony to a forced smile: Yes, there were fireworks, music and dancing, but the stadium was nearly empty. Multiple disasters preceded the start – within a few days, several officials had been expelled, for reasons that included bullying and antisemitism. These are games largely without cheers, crowds or joy. Australians are blaming their neighbors for catching the coronavirus, whether those people violated the law. In part thanks to the country's efficient contact tracing program, some individuals have been clearly – and publicly – linked to the virus. A few even have nicknames, such as Barbecue Man and the Limo Driver, emblematic of the rash of covid shaming on the continent as Australia's outbreak worsens. Meanwhile, the New Zealand-Australia travel bubble has burst: New Zealand will no longer permit travelers from Australia to enter without quarantine. Other important news Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) told reporters that the unvaccinated are "choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain." The state is reporting its highest hospitalization rate in months. YouTube has removed several videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's official channel. In one video, the president, who has frequently railed against precautions such as lockdowns, advocated for treating covid-19 with tea and other unproven therapies. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee said there's an urgent need for immunocompromised people to receive additional doses, and a senior CDC official told The Post the agency is considering how this might work. |
Your questions, answered "Does covid-19 cause erectile dysfunction?" — Gary in Virginia Possibly. Covid-19, the disease that results from a coronavirus infection, can include a range of nasty symptoms. Fever, aches, chills, loss of smell and taste, diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue are among the common ailments. But some patients report rarer effects, too. It's not yet certain, but erectile dysfunction may be one of those. In a small study published in March, scientists in Italy surveyed 100 men, 25 who had covid-19 and 75 who did not. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction, the study authors reported, was higher in the men who had covid-19 than those who did not – 28 percent vs. 9 percent. This kind of study can't show covid-19 caused the problem, but the difference in percentages was unlikely to be explained by random chance. One explanation, those researchers suggest, was that covid-19 might interfere with levels of testosterone. That remains a hypothesis. Other studies indicate men with low testosterone could be at higher risk of severe covid-19, although the relationship between covid-19 and testosterone isn't fully understood. The Italian research team acknowledged more study is needed. However, they conclude, their "findings, no matter how limited, are highly suggestive of a potential long-term risk for male sexual function following covid-19." Cleveland Clinic urologist Ryan Berglund recently told the Los Angeles Times that definitive proof is elusive. Evidence of erectile dysfunction after coronavirus infection is mostly anecdotal. But Berglund offered one possible explanation for why this might happen, too: Blood vessels, like heart muscle, can become inflamed in covid-19 patients, he said to the Times, "which could cause an obstructive phenomenon and negatively impact the ability to get erections." There's suggestive, if again limited, evidence of blood vessel damage near the penis in men with covid-19. Another research group, at the University of Miami, examined tissue of two men who had covid-19 and erectile dysfunction. Their pilot study was the first, they said, to find viral particles in the penis up to seven months after an infection. As comedian Stephen Colbert quipped about these results, "The doctors really mean it when they say the hard part is over." |
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