Our findings are in agreement with previously reported data showing increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF and IFNγ, and oxidative stress together with impaired spermatogenesis in men recovering from COVID-19 (Li et al., 2020; Gacci et al., 2021; Hajizadeh Maleki and Tartibian, 2021; Morselli et al., 2022; Shcherbitskaia et al., 2022). The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is COVID-19.