Even After Recovery, Why Does It Hurt? US Researchers Say "Coronavirus Persists for Over 7 Months"

On the 12th, when 210,755 new COVID-19 cases were reported, citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza were undergoing tests. Since the 11th, the government has suspended rapid antigen tests at public health center screening sites and temporary screening clinics, conducting only PCR tests. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] A study has found that the COVID-19 virus can be detected in the excrement of confirmed patients for more than half a year.

According to major foreign media on the 16th, researchers at Stanford University in the United States collected stool samples periodically over 10 months from 113 COVID-19 infected individuals starting in May 2020.

Analysis showed that viral RNA of the COVID-19 virus was detected in the stool of half (49.2%) of the patients up to the first week after diagnosis. For 12.7% of the patients, the virus was present even 4 months after being declared cured, and for 3.8%, the same symptoms persisted for more than 7 months.

Amy Bart, associate professor and lead author of the study at Stanford University, explained that it is highly likely that COVID-19 infected the gastrointestinal tract and remained latent in the body. This means that the COVID-19 virus can persist in the body after recovery, damaging tissues and stimulating the immune system, potentially causing stomach cramps.

She raised the question that this could be important for 'Long COVID,' where fatigue and loss of smell and taste persist for more than 4 weeks after infection. The main cause of Long COVID is currently unknown.