The Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 and Its Role in Long Covid

Postacute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (PASC), more commonly known as long Covid, manifests as ongoing symptoms in various organs of the body more than 4 weeks after the resolution of acute Covid-19.1 A prevalent symptom of PASC is an ongoing loss of taste, but additional persisting symptoms can include neurologic, gastrointestinal, kidney, lung, or heart dysfunction.1,2 There are two broad mechanisms that are thought to underpin the ongoing complications associated with PASC: dysregulated production of inflammatory cytokines and the persistence of virus.3