This is one of the most concerning examples of #SARS-CoV-2 persistence to date 👉 The team found SARS-CoV-2 RNA + Spike protein in the stool of 11/14 newborn babies born to mothers who had #COVID-19 resolve 10+ weeks before delivery: nature.com/articles/s4139…
2/ The team concludes that “the findings suggest in utero transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and possible persistent intestinal #viral reservoirs in the newborns”
3/ It is important to note that all newborns that harbored SARS-CoV-2 in stool were negative for the #virus via nasal PCR. The team also found that stool homogenates from all 14 newborns in the study elicited elevated inflammatory IL-6 + IFN-γ from macrophages
4/ The team writes that “Increased induction of these cytokines in the #neonatal intestine by viral RNAs may impact the immune cell development and immune landscape in the neonatal intestine and may potentially affect disease susceptibility in later life.”
5/ And also that “The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNAs and Spike protein in the intestines of newborns may potentially impact the development of the gut #microbiome and the immune system”
6/ Last, one newborn died from gestational autoimmune liver disease (GALD) and another developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). While there is not enough evidence link the conditions directly to the SARS-CoV-2/spike persistence…
7/ …both NEC and GALD have been previously linked to intestinal inflammation and #infection-associated autoantibody responses (respectively)
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