By MICHAEL J. PELUSO et al.
Source Science
Editor’s summary
The term “Long Covid” covers a diverse array of symptoms that an individual might experience weeks to years after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many drivers of Long Covid have been proposed, with supporting data for each. Here, Peluso et al. provide compelling evidence for two potential contributors: persistent SARS-CoV-2 and aberrant T cell activation. The authors used whole-body positron emission tomography imaging with a tracer that selectively tags activated T cells to show that those with Long Covid had certain tissues that were enriched for activated T cells in comparison with those without Long Covid. Moreover, because the gut was one of the sites of activated T cell enrichment, the authors analyzed gut biopsies from a subset of individuals with Long Covid.