In the most comprehensive autopsy tissue study conducted to date, researchers have found traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus throughout the entire body, from the brain and the heart to the eyes. The findings indicate the virus can cause persistent infections in many parts of the body, months past an initial illness, and support the argument for further research into antiviral drugs as possible treatment for long COVID.

Three years have passed since the emergence of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and scientists are still working to understand exactly how this virus interacts with the human body. One ongoing mystery is how broadly SARS-CoV-2 infects different organs, beyond the respiratory system.