<div>Although reports have shown an association between coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) and a reduction in male semen parameters, no population
big-data analyses have been verified. This ecological comparative study
aimed to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on semen quality.
This ecological comparison study was based on the nationwide loosening
of COVID-19 curbs in China on 2022-12-07, 1 month after which, an 89%
infection rate was reported in Henan Province, China. We compared semen
quality and serum hormone levels from 2023-01-07 to 4-30 and 2022-01-07
to 4-30 at the Reproductive Center of Henan Provincial People’s
Hospital. Our results indicated a significant decrease in semen volume (
<i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), sperm concentration ( <i>P</i>=0.0004),
total sperm count ( <i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), progressive motility (
<i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), and nonprogressive motility (
<i>P</i>&lt;0.0001) after the nationwide loosening of COVID-19
curbs. The effects on semen volume and total sperm count lasted for a
long time. An increase in the rate of sperm neck defects was observed (
<i>P</i>&lt;0.0001). Infection also caused hormone disruption in
prolactin ( <i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), testosterone ( <i>P</i>=0.0220),
sex hormone-binding globulin ( <i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), and free
testosterone index ( <i>P</i>=0.0126), and an increase in estrogen (
<i>P</i>&lt;0.0001), osteocalcin ( <i>P</i>&lt;0.0001),
and 25-OH-VD ( <i>P</i>&lt;0.0001). The present study revealed
that mild COVID-19 appeared to have a detrimental effect on semen
parameters.</div>