Researchers may have discovered why certain symptoms last in COVID-19 patients after they have already recovered from the virus.
A new study released by the National Institutes of Health has found that COVID-19 can remain in a person’s body for as long as 230 days after they've recovered by spreading to “multiple organs.”
The spread can go from the respiratory system to the heart, brain, and other organs, leading scientists to believe this is the key reason why people experience long COVID.
Scientists at the NIH reported that they found the virus has the ability to replicate in human cells much beyond the respiratory tract, resulting in the body needing more time to get rid of the virus completely, as it jumps from organ to organ, Bloomberg reported.
The study showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in different parts of the body, including the brain, in patients for as long as 7 ½ months after symptoms began. However, the data collected was not from those currently with long COVID.
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Scientists shared that these findings were crucial since researchers have not been able to tell why some patients experience COVID symptoms for so long after recovery. This could be a reason why.
While most long COVID symptoms are considered not serious or life-threatening, another study found that sufferers had a 59% increased risk of dying within six months, The Federal reported.
The World Health Organization shared that people with “post-COVID-19 condition” have symptoms for around three months after testing positive. The symptoms can last for at least two months and include fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction.
The findings in the study have not yet been reviewed by independent scientists, and the data is mainly gathered from those who have died from COVID-19. The samples have not been obtained from long COVID patients.
