New research unveiled at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) indicates that the COVID-19 virus can linger in the blood and tissues of infected individuals for more than a year following the acute phase of the disease. Conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the study sheds light on potential reasons for the development of long COVID, a condition characterized by prolonged symptoms lasting months.
The study, analyzing blood and tissue samples from individuals previously infected with COVID-19, found remnants of the virus, known as COVID antigens, persisting for up to 14 months in blood samples and over two years in tissue samples. These findings challenge the initial assumption that COVID-19 is a transient illness and provide insights into the lingering symptoms experienced by some individuals, including brain fog, digestive issues, and vascular problems.
According to Michael Peluso, an infectious disease researcher at UCSF, the presence of COVID antigens even in individuals with normal immune responses suggests a deeper understanding is required. The research indicates a correlation between the severity of COVID-19 illness and the persistence of viral fragments, with hospitalized patients and those reporting more severe symptoms showing higher likelihoods of detecting COVID antigens. Further investigation is necessary to ascertain the role of these fragments in driving long COVID and associated health risks like cardiovascular events.
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