Long-term infection with the new coronavirus may be caused by the virus remaining in the body.science says this

Most people survive and recover from COVID-19, but some people may develop symptoms. lasts for months or year. If symptoms persist for more than her 12 weeks, the condition is called: long coronavirus.

Long-lasting COVID includes: 200 different symptoms. To determine evidence-based treatment for these symptoms, we need to understand the cause. One factor that may be related to the prolongation of COVID-19 is that the virus is not completely cleared from the body after initial infection.

We know from other viruses that fragments of the virus can remain in various tissues for months or even years. This may be the case with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus. Here’s what science says so far:

Other viruses lurk in the body

Herpesviruses (such as the Epstein-Barr virus that causes glandular fever) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can exist in a “latent state” for life. This means that the virus is hidden and dormant inside the cell.

HIV, in particular, can remain dormant in infected cells throughout the body. Even if it is inactive, it can promote immune activation and inflammation.

other viruses Zika fever, measles and Ebora It is found in the tissues of infected individuals months or years after initial infection. Due to the persistence of this virus, cause chronic disease.

Some studies have shown that the novel coronavirus can reactivate the Epstein-Barr virus, which remains dormant in the body.Studies show that this Link to Fatigue and Thinking and Reasoning Problems People who have been suffering from a new coronavirus infection for a long time.

How do you know if the new coronavirus is in your body?

Several studies have identified gene sequences for SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) and SARS-CoV-2 protein in tissue and stool (poop) samples months after infection.

These studies included multiple autopsy reports, including: Viral RNA and protein found in various tissues From people who died within 7 months after infection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in at least half of the heart, lymph gland, eye, nerve, brain, and lung tissue samples tested.

Among those who survived found viral RNA Four months after infection in intestinal tissue obtained by colonoscopy, in which tissue is taken from the large intestine using a thin tube. These patients had asymptomatic COVID-19 and were PCR-negative by nose and throat swabs at 4 months of age.

A 2022 study detected SARS-CoV-2 in the stool of about half of the participants during the first week after infection. At 4 months, no virus was present in the respiratory tract. 12.7% of stool samples were positive for RNA. Moreover, he had 3.8% of the stool samples remained RNA positive at his 7-month time point.

early research It did not necessarily suggest a strong relationship between long-term detection of SARS-CoV-2 and long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

More recently, however, it was revealed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA (or protein translated from RNA) is present in the body. blood And the intestinal tissue turned out to be increase the possibility The possibility of developing long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms.

How might delays in clearing the virus affect people with long-term COVID-19?

Delayed clearance of SARS-CoV-2 particles in different parts of the body can lead to disease through several potential processes.

1) Inflammation. Continuous immune stimulation by viral proteins causes inflammation, fatigues the immune system, and alters immune cell function over time.

I have already informed you Immune dysfunction and inflammation persist for up to 8 months in long-term COVID-19 infected individuals who initially had mild to moderate disease.

2) activation of other dormant viruses. A continued immune response to persistent SARS-CoV-2 can lead to reactivation of latent virus.

Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus are elevated in long-term COVID-19 patients, suggesting Epstein-Barr virus reactivationThis is probably due to activation of the immune system.

Other latent viruses, such as human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs; ancient viruses that became part of DNA like fossilized genes), have recently been found to reactivate after infection. HERV protein Detected It is found in blood cells and tissues of patients with COVID-19.

These proteins may trigger inflammatory processes in long-lasting COVID-19 infections.

3) Antibodies made by fighting SARS-CoV-2 can become “self” reactive. These autoantibodies (antibodies produced by our immune system that mistakenly target and attack our own body tissues and organs) can cross-react with host receptors and proteins, cause autoimmunity disease.

Importantly, recent studies have shown that new onset of autoimmune diseases (such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis) are highly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Association between autoimmunity and long-term COVID-19 plausible.

This suggests that the novel coronavirus not only has an immediate health impact, but can also cause long-term changes in the immune system.

Although the above studies provide the first evidence that SARS-CoV-2 persists long after initial infection, there is a compelling link between persisting virus and long-lasting novel coronavirus. Further research is needed to demonstrate sex. This should include testing for viral RNA and protein in both blood and tissues of people with prolonged COVID-19, regardless of disease severity. And that must include well-developed cohort studies that follow large populations internationally.

Several exam in progress This is an project to assess whether long-term treatment of COVID-19 with antiviral drugs such as paxlobid reduces viral antigens and improves symptoms.