Autopsy Study Finds Replicating SARS-CoV-2 in the Hearts of Long Covid

SARS-CoV-2 RNA can persist in tissues long after initial infection, but with unclear significance. After acute illness, some patients experience persistent symptoms of potential cardiac origin, such as palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue consistent with cardiac Long COVID (CLC). Cardiac viral persistence may drive CLC symptoms and could have direct implications for patient care. We investigated whether the presence of SARS-CoV-2 reverse strand, a marker of viral replication, in the left ventricle (LV) is associated with CLC, pathologic changes and altered gene expression.