Clinical and Molecular Features of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Clinical Center

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project 1: We conducted 44 autopsies among fatal cases of COVID-19 during April 2020 to March 2021, including 11 cases with extensive brain sampling. Findings from this study, published in Nature, resulted in a paradigm shift defining SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence throughout the human body including brain. Investigations of host responses within tissues, using cutting edge technologies (e.g., imaging mass cytometry and spatial transcriptomics), are ongoing. Project2: We collected longitudinal clinical data and human bio-specimens (e.g., plasma, PBMCs, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage) from patients enrolled in clinical studies at the NIH Clinical Center and the University of Maryland Medical Center. We detected replication competent SARS-CoV-2 in blood of a critical ill unvaccinated patient early during infection prior to onset of humoral immunity. This manuscript has been published. We observed biomarkers of immunothrombosis were independently associated with death in COVID-19 patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This manuscript is under revision.