SARS-CoV-2 and clinical urology: there is no dragon in this story

Covid-19 disease is caused by the coronavirus of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2. The disease has evolved into a global pandemic that continues to this day. Coronavirus basically causes acute respiratory illness, the symptoms of which may remain milder even three months after the onset of this acute infection. Many patients also experience cardiological, gastrointestinal, and neurological symptoms that last for at least two months. Some patients report worsening of certain urinary symptoms. In this paper, we review the current knowledge about the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and urinary system. A database and a manual search were conducted in the MEDLINE database of the National Library of Medicine, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and other libraries using the keywords “SARS-CoV-2,” “COVID-19,” and “pandemic,” in various combinations with the terms “kidney,” “bladder” “prostate,” “testicles,” “LUTS,” “pain,” and “infection.” A considerable number of articles investigate the possible interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the urinary system. In addition, to the well-documented involvement of the kidneys, testicle, and penile involvement seems to be possible. There are also studies investigating the development of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) as a complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection and some studies examining the impact of COVID-19 disease on LUTS. In conclusion, the studies published so far do not provide conclusive evidence about a strong association between SARS-CoV-2 and the genitourinary system. Further investigation is warranted to better understand the nature of COVID-19 disease.