Results of RT-PCR test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in multiple organs of post-COVID patients who died from causes other than COVID-19

Abstract

The aim of this research work was to study the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to persist in multiple organs of people who have recovered from COVID-19. For this purpose, autopsy material was used from patients with a history of COVID-19 who died from causes unrelated to a new coronavirus infection. Autopsy material collected from 11 different organs was analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Among the organs tested, SARS-CoV-2 RNA persisted longest in the bronchi and lungs. Thus, in both patients tested positive more than 100 days after recovery, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected only in the bronchi and lungs. On the contrary, the shorter the recovery time was, the more organs were found to have SARS-Cov-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was most frequently detected in biomaterials of deceased people over 80 years of age, which may indicate a longer period of virus elimination in the elderly. No correlation between the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 across organs and the age of patients could be detected, but it was shown that SARS-CoV-2 persisted in more organs in males after recovery. In females, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found predominantly in the bronchi and lungs. Key words: SARS-CoV-2, autopsy material, real-time polymerase chain reaction