New research this week seems to affirm the suspicion that the coronaviruses can spread to other parts of the human body. It was found that the virus can still be present in the body even after the initial symptoms have passed. Some survivors experience long covid, a complex chronic condition that may be revealed by the preliminary findings.
The Respiratory Viruses are similar to the human coronaviruses. Acute symptoms in mild cases tend to involve the upper respiratory tract, while more serious cases are associated with lung infections and pneumonia. Evidence from the lab and in patients shows that the virus can travel throughout the body and cause other diseases, thanks to the way it hijacks cells. Scientists have found evidence that the coronaviruses can cause diseases.
The scientists behind this new research say theirs is the most comprehensive look so far at how well the coronaviruses can affect the human body and brain. The researchers performed autopsies on 44 people who had been exposed to the coronaviruses. The person's death was directly linked to the infections in all but five cases.
The team found many signs of the coronaviruses beyond the respiratory tract. Its presence was highest in the lungs. They found evidence of infections in the cardiovascular tissue of 80% of patients, the gastrointestinal tissue of 27% of patients, and the muscle, skin, fat, and peripheral nervous tissue of 32% of patients. They studied 85 body parts and bodily fluids and found the virus in at least some of them. In one case, they found traces of viral RNA throughout the body and brain for up to 230 days after symptoms began.
The paper was released as a preprint on Sunday but is under review for publication in the journal Nature.
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