SARS-CoV-2 RNA Found to Persist in Blood and Tissue, Potentially Playing a Role in Long COVID
SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been found to persist in blood and tissue, potentially playing a role in long COVID, according to research conducted at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The viral fragments can remain in the blood and tissue for more than a year after infection, as indicated by two studies presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver.
The researchers discovered SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the blood for up to 14 months post-infection and for more than 2 years in connective-tissue samples from 171 COVID-19 survivors without evidence of reinfection. The samples were obtained from UCSF’s Long COVID Tissue Bank, which contains samples donated by patients with and without long COVID.
According to the studies, the probability of having persistent viral fragments was about double in hospitalized participants and in those who reported being very ill but weren’t hospitalized. Dr. Michael Peluso, who led the studies, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating that the associations between persistent viral fragments and illness severity provide strong evidence of the virus’s lingering impact.
The presence of viral RNA in connective tissue, where immune cells are located, suggests that the RNA may have been causing an immune response. Dr. Peluso highlighted the need for further research to determine whether the viral RNA contributes to long COVID and related events such as heart attack and stroke. His team is currently involved in clinical trials studying whether monoclonal antibodies or antiviral drugs can eliminate the RNA and benefit long-COVID patients.
In a separate development, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has reported two measles cases, one at a center for new migrants and another in a person who had interactions with domestic and international travelers. The case at the migrant center involves a young child at a shelter in Pilsen who has since recovered and is no longer infectious. The national tally of measles cases in the US has now reached 45.
