New preprint: The team did autopsies on 44 patients w/ #COVID-19 to map + quantify SARS-CoV-2 distribution, replication and cell-type specificity across the human body (including brain) from acute infection through over 7 months following symptom onset: researchsquare.com/article/rs-113…
2/ They found that #SARS-CoV-2 was widely distributed, even among patients who died with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19. They also detected persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA in multiple anatomic sites, including regions throughout the #brain, for up to 230 days following symptom onset 
3/ Persistence of low-level #SARS-CoV-2 RNA was frequently detected across multiple #tissue categories among all late cases patients who passed away after 31 days, despite being undetectable in plasma
4/ Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the brains of all 6 late cases and across most locations evaluated in the #brain in five of these six, including a patient who passed away at day 230. Brain regions in which #virus was identified included brainstem and basal ganglia
5/ The team detected #SARS-CoV-2 sgRNA (indicative of active viral replication) across all tissue categories predominately among early cases
6/ But sgRNA was also detected in at least one tissue of 61.5% of mid cases and 42.9% of late cases, including across three #tissue categories in a case of a patient who passed away at day 99
7/ In addition to ddPCR, the team used ISH to identify SARS-CoV-2 #spike RNA across selected early, mid + late cases. Spike RNA was found in #neurons, glia and ependyma, as well as endothelium of vessels across all lobes of the brain of early, mid, and late cases
8/ Within the cerebellum specifically, neurons, Purkinje cells, and endothelium of #vasculature also contained spike protein via IHC
9/ Why did this team find #SARS-CoV-2 in the brain when a few others did not? Likely due to: ✅ a focus on short post-mortem intervals (~26.2 hrs) ✅ good preservation techniques (RNAlater and flash freezing of fresh tissue)
10/ If these findings hold during the peer review process they strongly suggest that SARS-CoV-2 “viral reservoir” in both body/brain should be a central area of #LongCovid research
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