COVID-19: the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs and the role of innate immunity

One to two weeks after contracting COVID, under immune control the SARS-CoV-2 virus becomes undetectable in the upper respiratory tract. But does that mean that it is no longer present in the body? To find out, a team from the Institut Pasteur specializing in HIV, in collaboration with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), conducted a study on lung cells in an animal model. The results show not only that SARS-CoV-2 is found in the lungs of certain individuals for up to 18 months after infection, but also that its persistence appears to be linked to a failure of innate immunity (the first line of defense against pathogens). This research was published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Find out more (in French)