Loss of taste and smell. Headaches. Fatigue. And now, A SHRUNKEN PENIS??? Could this seriously be ANOTHER sideeffect of the monster known as COVID-19? According to some sources, yes. Via Gizmodo:

This week, the Slate-run sex advice podcastHow to Do It discussed the harrowing tale of an anonymous letter writer who was suffering from what’s come to be known as “covid dick.” The writer, who identified as a heterosexual man in his 30s, said that he had gotten very sick and was hospitalized from covid-19 last July. After he was discharged, he began experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED). Though his symptoms did improve after seeing a doctor, the man reportedly was left with a glaring reminder of his ordeal. Describing himself as above average in penis size before covid-19, he said that his penis had now shrunk about 1.5 inches and that he had “become decidedly less than average.”

The podcast hosts, to their credit, also interviewed a pair of urologists who rightly noted that there’s a clear trail of evidence linking covid-19 to erectile or sexual dysfunction. A study this past November, for instance, found that men with covid-19 were about three times as likely to develop a new case of ED than those who didn’t catch covid-19.

As the Slate hosts note, there are readily available treatments for ED, such as the drug sildenafil (Viagra). And even a shrunken penis can be treated or prevented through what one urologist refers to as “penile rehab,” which can involve stretching exercises and/or penis-pumping devices. So not all hope is lost if you’re worried about the dreaded covid dick. 

Well, we’ll add that to the list of reasons we’re quarantining.