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

A multi-institutional autopsy study found that replicating SARS-CoV-2 detected in heart tissue was significantly associated with cardiac Long COVID symptoms, present in 82% of virus-positive cases compared to 37% of virus-negative cases. The virus-positive hearts showed structural changes including enlargement and fluid accumulation, along with altered gene expression related to inflammation and immune response. These findings suggest that persistent viral replication in the heart may mechanistically drive cardiac Long COVID symptoms and could inform future diagnostic and treatment approaches.