Effect of virus on fertility studied

Although the impact of novel coronavirus on human reproductive systems seems minimal based on the data available, couples are being advised to wait for three to six months for pregnancy after recovering from COVID-19.

Research is being conducted, but currently the effect of the coronavirus remains uncertain, said Qiao Jie, president of Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, during a video conference arranged by the Chinese embassy in Singapore on Tuesday.

"We hope to have deeper research to understand the impact the COVID-19 on the reproductive systems of men and women," she said.

Research so far has been small scale during the epidemic due to the risk associated with samples, so evidence is not solid yet, Qiao said.