The COVID-19 Virus Can Remain Undetected in Lungs for 18 Months: Study

The COVID-19 virus can remain in the lungs for months after an individual has been infected—even though it may be undetected by over-the-counter (OTC) tests, a new study finds.

The findings, established by a research team from the Institut Pasteur in France and published in Nature Immunology, indicate that the virus can live in the lungs for up to 18 months after infection in what scientists call "viral reservoirs."
The research team discovered these so-called viral reservoirs by analyzing samples from non-human primate models infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Preliminary results of the study showed the virus was found in the lungs of some animal models six to 18 months after infection, even though the virus went undetected in the blood or upper respiratory tract, such as the nose, throat, or voice box.

The researchers believe these viral reservoirs act almost like dormant geysers that could erupt at any time, especially when activated by some type of stimulus. Whether the virus reactivates may also depend on an individual's innate immunity, the immunity someone is born with.

To understand how innate immunity works against viral reservoirs, the Institut Pasteur team studied how macrophages and natural killer cells worked against the COVID-19 virus, looking for clues in the formation of viral reservoirs.


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