Testosterone in COVID-19: An Adversary Bane or Comrade Boon

The document "Testosterone in COVID-19: An Adversary Bane or Comrade Boon" explores the complex role of testosterone in COVID-19 severity. It suggests that testosterone, a male sex hormone, can both increase the risk of severe COVID-19 by enhancing the expression of ACE2, the receptor that the virus uses to enter cells, and potentially mitigate the severity of the disease due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The document also indicates that low testosterone levels, often seen in COVID-19 patients, are linked to disease severity, primarily due to testicular injury. Furthermore, testosterone therapy may reduce COVID-19 severity by mitigating SARS-CoV-2-induced oxidative stress and associated complications. However, the document concludes that the beneficial or harmful effects of testosterone in COVID-19 are not yet clear, and further clinical trials and large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm potential associations.