Zuo et al. - Lancet Infect Dis (2024)
Zuo et al. - Lancet Infect Dis (2024)
TL;Dr.: In a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Zuo and colleagues examined the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues after mild COVID-19 and its link to long COVID symptoms. Conducted at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, the cross-sectional cohort study tracked 225 patients post-recovery, collecting samples at one, two and four months after infection. There were 317 tissue samples, including residual surgical specimens, gastroscopy samples and blood component samples. Viral RNA was detected in a range of solid tissue samples (liver, kidney, stomach, intestine, brain, etc.), and the researchers observed a notable decline in detection rates over time. Two months after infection, viral RNA was detected in the plasma, granulocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of some patients who were immunocompromised, but in none of the blood compartments of patients who were immunocompetent. 213 patients completed a telephone questionnaire, of which 34% reported at least one long COVID symptom, and the study found a significant association between viral RNA detection and long COVID symptoms (odds ratio, 5.17). Future research could probe whether there is a mechanistic link between viral persistence and long COVID.
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