Michele Tomasicchio, Shameem Jaumdally, Lindsay Wilson, Andrea Kotze, Lynn Semple, Stuart Meier, Anil Pooran, Aliasgar Esmail, Komala Pillay, Riyaadh Roberts, Raymond Kriel, Richard Meldau, Suzette Oelofse, Carley Mandviwala, Jessica Burns, Rolanda Londt, Malika Davids, Charnay van der Merwe, Aqeedah Roomaney, Louié Kühn, Tahlia Perumal, Alex J Scott, Martin J Hale, Vicky Baillie, Sana Mahtab, Carolyn Williamson, Rageema Joseph, Alex Sigal, Ivan Joubert, Jenna Piercy, David Thomson, David L Fredericks, Malcolm Ga Miller, Marta C Nunes, Shabir A Madhi, Keertan Dheda
RATIONALE: In the upper respiratory tract replicating (culturable) SARS-CoV-2 is recoverable for ~ 4 to 8 days after symptom onset, however, there is paucity of data about the frequency or duration of replicating virus in the lower respiratory tract (i.e. the human lung). OBJECTIVES: We undertook lung tissue sampling (needle biopsy), shortly after death, in 42 mechanically ventilated decedents during the Beta and Delta waves. An independent group of 18 ambulatory patents served as a control group...
January 16, 2024: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine