January 9, 2023 – Researchers have found that the virus that causes COVID-19 is present throughout the body and stays present for greater than 7 months.
A study on this topic was published last month within the journal NatureFrom April 2020 to March 2021, researchers conducted autopsies on 44 unvaccinated individuals who had severe COVID-19. The average age was 62.5 years and 30% were female. In 11 cases, extensive brain samples were taken.
Due to its nature as a respiratory disease, the virus, clinically referred to as SARS-CoV-2, was most prevalent within the respiratory tract, resembling the lungs, nevertheless it was also present in 79 other body sites, including the guts, kidneys, liver, muscles, nerves, reproductive tract and eyes.
The researchers said their work shows that the virus “can infect the human brain and multiply there.” They also said their findings suggest that the virus spreads through the blood within the early stages of infection, which “allows the virus to spread throughout the body after respiratory infection.”
The authors noted that although the virus was found outside the respiratory tract, they found no signs of inflammation outside the respiratory system.
The results will help narrow down the treatment options for Long COVID and specifically support the concept of ​​using the antiviral drug Paxlovid to treat Long COVID, in line with a Blog post from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. clinical study The study of the treatment is already underway and the outcomes are expected in January 2024.