Persistent SARS-CoV2 infections

Persistent SARS-CoV2 infections could contribute to the formation of viral reservoirs, which could give rise to new epidemics. The prevalence of persistent infections, the kinetics of viral load in persistent infections and their evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood. In this study, researchers used viral sequencing data. Among a panel of participants, they identified 381 people with a high titer of SARS-CoV2 RNA persisting for at least 30 days. Of these, 54 had a high titer persisting at least 60 days. These participants had a more than 50% increased risk of developing long-standing Covid. Based on the data analyzed, the researchers estimate that the risk of developing a persistent infection with a high viral load over at least 60 days is between 0.1% and 0.5%.