Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of dollars in reduced productivity of employees and an overall drop in the work force.
The intense scientific effort that long COVID sparked has resulted in more than 24,000 scientific publications, making it the most researched health condition in any four years of recorded human history.
Long COVID is a term that describes the constellation of long-term health effects caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These range from persistent respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath, to debilitating fatigue or brain fog that limits peoples ability to work, and conditions such as heart failure and diabetes, which are known to last a lifetime.
I am a physician scientist, and I have been deeply immersed in studying long COVID since the early days of the pandemic. I have testified before the U.S. Senate as an expert witness on long COVID, have published extensively on it and was named as one of Times 100 most influential people in health in 2024 for my research in this area.
Over the first half of 2024, a flurry of reports and scientific papers on long COVID added clarity to this complex condition. These include, in particular, insights into how COVID-19 can still wreak havoc in many organs years after the initial viral infection, as well as emerging evidence on viral persistence and immune dysfunction that last for months or years after initial infection.
A new study that my colleagues and I published in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 17, 2024, shows that the risk of long COVID declined over the course of the pandemic. In 2020, when the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2 was dominant and vaccines were not available, about 10.4% of adults who got COVID-19 developed long COVID. By early 2022, when the omicron family of variants predominated, that rate declined to 7.7% among unvaccinated adults and 3.5% of vaccinated adults. In other words, unvaccinated people were more than twice as likely to develop long COVID.
While researchers like me do not yet have concrete numbers for the current rate in mid-2024 due to the time it takes for long COVID cases to be reflected in the data, the flow of new patients into long COVID clinics has been on par with 2022.
We found that the decline was the result of two key drivers: availability of vaccines and changes in the characteristics of the virus which made the virus less prone to cause severe acute infections and may have reduced its ability to persist in the human body long enough to cause chronic disease.
Despite the decline in risk of developing long COVID, even a 3.5% risk is substantial. New and repeat COVID-19 infections translate into millions of new long COVID cases that add to an already staggering number of people suffering from this condition.
Estimates for the first year of the pandemic suggests that at least 65 million people globally have had long COVID. Along with a group of other leading scientists, my team will soon publish updated estimates of the global burden of long COVID and its impact on the global economy through 2023.
In addition, a major new report by the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine details all the health effects that constitute long COVID. The report was commissioned by the Social Security Administration to understand the implications of long COVID on its disability benefits.
It concludes that long COVID is a complex chronic condition that can result in more than 200 health effects across multiple body systems. These include new onset or worsening:
Long COVID can affect people across the lifespan from children to older adults and across race and ethnicity and baseline health status. Importantly, more than 90% of people with long COVID had mild COVID-19 infections.
The National Academies report also concluded that long COVID can result in the inability to return to work or school; poor quality of life; diminished ability to perform activities of daily living; and decreased physical and cognitive function for months or years after the initial infection.
The report points out that many health effects of long COVID, such as post-exertional malaise and chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment and autonomic dysfunction, are not currently captured in the Social Security Administrations Listing of Impairments, yet may significantly affect an individuals ability to participate in work or school.
Whats more, health problems resulting from COVID-19 can last years after the initial infection.
A large study published in early 2024 showed that even people who had a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection still experienced new health problems related to COVID-19 in the third year after the initial infection.
Such findings parallel other research showing that the virus persists in various organ systems for months or years after COVID-19 infection. And research is showing that immune responses to the infection are still evident two to three years after a mild infection. Together, these studies may explain why a SARS-CoV-2 infection years ago could still cause new health problems long after the initial infection.
Important progress is also being made in understanding the pathways by which long COVID wreaks havoc on the body. Two preliminary studies from the U.S. and the Netherlands show that when researchers transfer auto-antibodies antibodies generated by a persons immune system that are directed at their own tissues and organs from people with long COVID into healthy mice, the animals start to experience long COVID-like symptoms such as muscle weakness and poor balance.
These studies suggest that an abnormal immune response thought to be responsible for the generation of these auto-antibodies may underlie long COVID and that removing these auto-antibodies may hold promise as potential treatments.
Despite overwhelming evidence of the wide-ranging risks of COVID-19, a great deal of messaging suggests that it is no longer a threat to the public. Although there is no empirical evidence to back this up, this misinformation has permeated the public narrative.
The data, however, tells a different story.
COVID-19 infections continue to outnumber flu cases and lead to more hospitalization and death than the flu. COVID-19 also leads to more serious long-term health problems. Trivializing COVID-19 as an inconsequential cold or equating it with the flu does not align with reality.
ROCHESTER Wastewater data shows an uptick in COVID-19 infections in many parts of the U.S., including Rochester, this July.
"It definitely seems that COVID case counts are rising both nationally and locally," said Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, an internal medicine physician and head of Infection Prevention and Control at Mayo Clinic.
Data from WastewaterSCAN shows a rising level of COVID RNA found in Rochester's wastewater since late June. The amount of virus detected had been low and stable through the early summer. Now, the level detected mirrors the amount of virus found in late January 2024, as a spike of winter cases fell.
That has translated to primary care providers seeing more patients lately with respiratory illness symptoms, Sampathkumar said.
"(They are) also getting more people who are letting us know that they tested positive at home," Sampathkumar said of her colleagues. "The number of people self-reporting positive tests has definitely gone up in the last couple of weeks."
The number of people hospitalized with COVID has increased slightly this month, Sampathkumar said, but most cases "still seem to be relatively mild, probably because of prior immunity either from vaccination or prior COVID illness."
The percentage of visits to local emergency rooms is still declining, however, said Matthew Giljork, an Olmsted County Public Health epidemiologist.
"Hospitalizations have not translated to an increase in ICU utilization or deaths so far," Giljork said.
Contributed / OMC
At Olmsted Medical Center, they have not observed an increase in hospitalizations, said Dr. Odette El Helou, an infectious disease physician at OMC.
At the state level, per the Minnesota Department of Health's July 25 update, COVID hospitalization rates increased slightly over the previous week but still remain low.
The dominant COVID variant causing infections across the U.S. is KP.3, which Sampathkumar said does not appear to be more transmittable nor cause more severe disease.
A summer wave of COVID infections is not necessarily unusual Sampathkumar said it appears that COVID is settling into a seasonal pattern: a peak of cases in the winter, and a smaller peak in the summer.
"It's probably too early to tell for sure, but it appears at this point that it's settling into sort of a bimodal peak," Sampathkumar said.
Other factors, El Helou said, are people traveling more during the summer and therefore being more exposed to the virus and the level of protection from last fall's COVID vaccines is beginning to wane.
To avoid getting sick, the same precautions that health professionals have been sharing since the start of the pandemic still work.
"Practice good hygiene, wash hands," said El Helou, "good ventilation stay outdoors if possible, open the windows of your home if you have other people in."
Contributed / Mayo Clinic
For vaccinations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month recommended that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID vaccine this fall alongside the seasonal influenza vaccine.
"COVID boosters, we hope, will be available by early September," Sampathkumar said. "Everyone should definitely seek out that vaccine and get it. As we've all seen, getting vaccinated may not completely protect you from getting a COVID infection, but it's very, very effective at preventing serious illness and preventing deaths."
If you do get sick, get tested early to see if it is COVID, Sampathkumar said, so you can seek treatment like Paxlovid if you are eligible.
"We recommend you stay home if you have symptoms and that you wear a mask for at least the time that you have symptoms and potentially for up to five days after your symptoms improve to protect everyone else around you," Sampathkumar said.
Contributed / Wastewater SCAN
Former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is awaiting retrial on rape charges in New York, has been hospitalized again.
New York Corrections Department records show that the 72-year-old was transferred from the Rikers Island jail complex in to a locked ward at Bellevue Hospital.
At Bellevue, he is undergoing treatment for COVID-19, double pneumonia and other health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and fluid on his heart and lungs, his representative told the Associated Press on Thursday.
We continue to express our gratitude to the officers, doctors and nurses in the citys corrections and public hospital systems who saw to it that Mr. Weinstein was immediately transferred to the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, said his publicist, Juda Engelmayer, who attributed Weinsteins health information to his prison consultant, Craig Rothfeld.
Engelmayer did not immediately respond Friday to The Times request for comment.
Weinstein was previously admitted to Bellevue in late April after an appeals court overturned his 2020 rape conviction.
In May, prosecutors asked for a September retrial during a hearing at a Manhattan courthouse. Weinstein had previously appeared in court using a walker, but appeared at the May preliminary hearing in a wheelchair pushed by a court officer. Defense attorney Arthur Aidala said Weinstein was attending the hearing despite his hospitalization and was undergoing unspecified tests due to health issues.
Aidala added that he had no concerns about his clients mental abilities, describing Weinstein as sharp as a tack. As sharp as he ever was, the AP reported.
Reports later surfaced that alleged the Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction producer was receiving special treatment at Bellevue, and he was pulled out of the medical center.
Weinstein was initially sentenced in 2020 to 23 years in prison in New York after allegedly assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haley and once-aspiring actor Jessica Mann. The state appellate court overturned the conviction last spring, determining that the judge who presided over Weinsteins 2020 trial prejudiced his case by allowing four women who accused Weinstein of assault to serve as witnesses despite their allegations not being part of the case.
The court ruled that the trial judge also erred in ruling that prosecutors could cross-examine Weinstein about uncharged and decades-old allegations if he decided to testify.
Weinsteins New York retrial hinges on whether the women who accused him of assault are willing to testify again. Haley has said that she is still considering it, and prosecutors have said Mann is prepared to testify, suggesting setting a date for a retrial after Labor Day.
Weinstein is due to return to court Aug. 7, jail records said.
The disgraced studio boss was convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and is still sentenced to 16 years in prison in California.
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A University of Oxford-ledstudy links a healthy pre-infection lifestyle to a 36% lower risk of long COVID, a 41% lower odds of death, and 22% lower chance of hospitalization.
The researchers assessed the association of modifiable lifestyle factors (eg, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, physical activity, time spent in sedentary activities, sleep duration, diet) with long COVID, death, and hospitalization among 68,896 adults in the UK Biobank cohort who tested positive for COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2022.
The average participant age was 66.6 years, 53.4% were men, and 82.1% were White. A total of 12.3% followed an unfavorable lifestyle (0 to 4 healthy habits), 41.3% had an intermediate lifestyle (5 healthy habits), and 46.4% adhered to a favorable lifestyle (6 to 10). Participants adhered to a median of 7 healthy lifestyle factors.
The results were published today in Nature Communications.
A total of 5.5% and 7.8% had long-COVID signs or symptoms in at least one studied organ system during and after infection, respectively.A healthy lifestyle was tied to a 36% lower risk of long COVID (absolute risk reduction [ARR] at 210 days, 7.1%) compared with an unfavorable lifestyle. And an intermediate lifestyle was linked to a 20% lower risk of long COVID, compared with an unhealthy lifestyle (ARR, 3.9%). The number of favorable lifestyle factors was tied to the risk of long COVID in a dose-dependent manner.
Adherence to a healthy lifestyle that predated the pandemic was associated with substantially lower risk of sequelae across organ systems, death, and hospitalization following COVID-19, regardless of phases of infection, vaccination status, test setting, and SARS-CoV-2 variants, and independent of relevant comorbidities.
Risk reductions affected all organ systems studied (cardiovascular, coagulation, metabolic, gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal, and respiratory, as well as fatigue). The benefits were primarily driven by lifestyle, independent of pre-infection illnesses (proportion of direct effect on any sign or symptom, 71%).
A healthy lifestyle was linked to a 41% lower risk of post-COVID death and a 22% lower odds of hospital admission. These association were seen regardless of pre- or post-infection status, hospitalization status, vaccination status, or SARS-CoV-2 variant. Pre-COVID medical conditionsespecially cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental illnesswere linked to a substantially increased risk of long COVID.
The study authors said that a healthy lifestyle may lower the risk of severe COVID-19 and death by protecting against inflammation, abnormal immune responses (autoimmunity), and abnormal clotting.
"Adherence to a healthy lifestyle that predated the pandemic was associated with substantially lower risk of sequelae across organ systems, death, and hospitalization following COVID-19, regardless of phases of infection, vaccination status, test setting, and SARS-CoV-2 variants, and independent of relevant comorbidities," the study authors wrote. "These findings suggest the benefit of population adhering to a healthy lifestyle to reduce the potential long-term adverse health consequences of COVID-19."
A possum in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
By Stephen Beech via SWNS
The virus that causes COVID-19 is "widespread" among wildlife, reveals new research.
Six out of 23 common species - including rabbits and bats - showed signs of SARS-CoV-2 infections during an examination of animals in the United States.
Antibodies indicating previous exposure to the virus were also found in five species - with rates of exposure ranging from 40% to 60%, depending on the species.
Genetic tracking of wild animals in Virginia confirmed both the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the existence of "unique" viral mutations with lineages closely matching variants circulating in humans at the time.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, are further evidence of human-to-animal Covid transmission, say scientists.
The study showed that the highest exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was found in animals near hiking trails and high-traffic public areas, suggesting the virus passed from humans to wildlife.
The research team from Virginia Tech says their findings highlight the identification of novel mutations in SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife and the need for broad surveillance.
They warned that the mutations could be more harmful and transmissible, creating further challenges for vaccine development.
But the team stressed, that they found no evidence of the virus being transmitted from animals to humans, and people should not fear any interactions with wildlife.
The researchers tested animals from 23 common species for both active infections and antibodies indicating previous infections.
They found signs of the virus in Eastern cottontail rabbits, deer mice, Virginia opossums, raccoons, groundhogs and Eastern red bats.
The key S-protein acquired at least two mutations, displayed in yellow in this simulation, that provided an evolutionary path for the virus to jump and transmit to other species. The purple part is the receptor thats recognized by the S-protein so the virus can enter. (Carla Finkielstein/Virginia Tech via SWNS)
The virus isolated from one opossum showed viral mutations that were previously unreported - and could potentially impact how the virus affects humans and their immune response.
Professor Carla Finkielstein said: The virus can jump from humans to wildlife when we are in contact with them, like a hitchhiker switching rides to a new, more suitable host.
The goal of the virus is to spread in order to survive.
"The virus aims to infect more humans, but vaccinations protect many humans.
"So, the virus turns to animals, adapting and mutating to thrive in the new hosts.
Covid infections were previously identified in wildlife, primarily in white-tailed deer and feral mink.
The Virginia Tech study significantly expands the number of species examined and the understanding of virus transmission to and among wildlife.
The data suggests exposure to the virus has been "widespread" in wildlife and that areas with high human activity may serve as points of contact for cross-species transmission.
Lab work inside the Virginia Tech Molecular Diagnostics Lab, pictured right: Professor Carla Finkielstein, co-corresponding author of the paper. (Virginia Tech via SWNS)
Professor Joseph Hoyt, of Virginia Tech's College of Science, said: This study was really motivated by seeing a large, important gap in our knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a broader wildlife community.
A lot of studies to date have focused on white-tailed deer, while what is happening in much of our common backyard wildlife remains unknown.
Researchers collected 798 nasal and oral swabs across Virginia from animals either live-trapped in the field and released, or being treated by wildlife rehabilitation centers. They also obtained 126 blood samples from six species.
The locations were chosen to compare the presence of the virus in animals in sites with varying levels of human activity, from urban areas to remote wilderness.
The study also identified two mice at the same site on the same day with the exact same variant, indicating they either both got it from the same human, or one infected the other.
Researchers are not certain about the means of transmission from humans to animals.
They say one possibility is wastewater, but the team believes rubbish bins and discarded food are more likely sources.
Study first author Dr. Amanda Goldberg said: I think the big take-home message is the virus is pretty ubiquitous.
We found positives in a large suite of common backyard animals.
The researchers say that while the study focused on Virginia, many of the species that tested positive are also common elsewhere, so it is likely they are being exposed in other areas as well.
Professor Finkielstein said: The virus is indifferent to whether its host walks on two legs or four. Its primary objective is survival.
A raccoon in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
"Mutations that do not confer a survival or replication advantage to the virus will not persist and will eventually disappear."
The team say further research is needed to establish how the virus is transmitted from humans to wildlife, how it might spread within a species, and perhaps from one species to another.
Hoyt said: This study highlights the potentially large host range SARS-CoV-2 can have in nature and really how widespread it might be.
There is a lot of work to be done to understand which species of wildlife, if any, will be important in the long-term maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
Finkielstein added: "What weve already learned is that SARS CoV-2 is not only a human problem, and it takes a multidisciplinary team to address its impact on various species and ecosystems effectively.
A possum in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
By Stephen Beech via SWNS
The virus that causes COVID-19 is "widespread" among wildlife, reveals new research.
Six out of 23 common species - including rabbits and bats - showed signs of SARS-CoV-2 infections during an examination of animals in the United States.
Antibodies indicating previous exposure to the virus were also found in five species - with rates of exposure ranging from 40% to 60%, depending on the species.
Genetic tracking of wild animals in Virginia confirmed both the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the existence of "unique" viral mutations with lineages closely matching variants circulating in humans at the time.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, are further evidence of human-to-animal Covid transmission, say scientists.
The study showed that the highest exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was found in animals near hiking trails and high-traffic public areas, suggesting the virus passed from humans to wildlife.
The research team from Virginia Tech says their findings highlight the identification of novel mutations in SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife and the need for broad surveillance.
They warned that the mutations could be more harmful and transmissible, creating further challenges for vaccine development.
But the team stressed, that they found no evidence of the virus being transmitted from animals to humans, and people should not fear any interactions with wildlife.
The researchers tested animals from 23 common species for both active infections and antibodies indicating previous infections.
They found signs of the virus in Eastern cottontail rabbits, deer mice, Virginia opossums, raccoons, groundhogs and Eastern red bats.
The key S-protein acquired at least two mutations, displayed in yellow in this simulation, that provided an evolutionary path for the virus to jump and transmit to other species. The purple part is the receptor thats recognized by the S-protein so the virus can enter. (Carla Finkielstein/Virginia Tech via SWNS)
The virus isolated from one opossum showed viral mutations that were previously unreported - and could potentially impact how the virus affects humans and their immune response.
Professor Carla Finkielstein said: The virus can jump from humans to wildlife when we are in contact with them, like a hitchhiker switching rides to a new, more suitable host.
The goal of the virus is to spread in order to survive.
"The virus aims to infect more humans, but vaccinations protect many humans.
"So, the virus turns to animals, adapting and mutating to thrive in the new hosts.
Covid infections were previously identified in wildlife, primarily in white-tailed deer and feral mink.
The Virginia Tech study significantly expands the number of species examined and the understanding of virus transmission to and among wildlife.
The data suggests exposure to the virus has been "widespread" in wildlife and that areas with high human activity may serve as points of contact for cross-species transmission.
Lab work inside the Virginia Tech Molecular Diagnostics Lab, pictured right: Professor Carla Finkielstein, co-corresponding author of the paper. (Virginia Tech via SWNS)
Professor Joseph Hoyt, of Virginia Tech's College of Science, said: This study was really motivated by seeing a large, important gap in our knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a broader wildlife community.
A lot of studies to date have focused on white-tailed deer, while what is happening in much of our common backyard wildlife remains unknown.
Researchers collected 798 nasal and oral swabs across Virginia from animals either live-trapped in the field and released, or being treated by wildlife rehabilitation centers. They also obtained 126 blood samples from six species.
The locations were chosen to compare the presence of the virus in animals in sites with varying levels of human activity, from urban areas to remote wilderness.
The study also identified two mice at the same site on the same day with the exact same variant, indicating they either both got it from the same human, or one infected the other.
Researchers are not certain about the means of transmission from humans to animals.
They say one possibility is wastewater, but the team believes rubbish bins and discarded food are more likely sources.
Study first author Dr. Amanda Goldberg said: I think the big take-home message is the virus is pretty ubiquitous.
We found positives in a large suite of common backyard animals.
The researchers say that while the study focused on Virginia, many of the species that tested positive are also common elsewhere, so it is likely they are being exposed in other areas as well.
Professor Finkielstein said: The virus is indifferent to whether its host walks on two legs or four. Its primary objective is survival.
A raccoon in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
"Mutations that do not confer a survival or replication advantage to the virus will not persist and will eventually disappear."
The team say further research is needed to establish how the virus is transmitted from humans to wildlife, how it might spread within a species, and perhaps from one species to another.
Hoyt said: This study highlights the potentially large host range SARS-CoV-2 can have in nature and really how widespread it might be.
There is a lot of work to be done to understand which species of wildlife, if any, will be important in the long-term maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
Finkielstein added: "What weve already learned is that SARS CoV-2 is not only a human problem, and it takes a multidisciplinary team to address its impact on various species and ecosystems effectively.
A possum in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
By Stephen Beech via SWNS
The virus that causes COVID-19 is "widespread" among wildlife, reveals new research.
Six out of 23 common species - including rabbits and bats - showed signs of SARS-CoV-2 infections during an examination of animals in the United States.
Antibodies indicating previous exposure to the virus were also found in five species - with rates of exposure ranging from 40% to 60%, depending on the species.
Genetic tracking of wild animals in Virginia confirmed both the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the existence of "unique" viral mutations with lineages closely matching variants circulating in humans at the time.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, are further evidence of human-to-animal Covid transmission, say scientists.
The study showed that the highest exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was found in animals near hiking trails and high-traffic public areas, suggesting the virus passed from humans to wildlife.
The research team from Virginia Tech says their findings highlight the identification of novel mutations in SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife and the need for broad surveillance.
They warned that the mutations could be more harmful and transmissible, creating further challenges for vaccine development.
But the team stressed, that they found no evidence of the virus being transmitted from animals to humans, and people should not fear any interactions with wildlife.
The researchers tested animals from 23 common species for both active infections and antibodies indicating previous infections.
They found signs of the virus in Eastern cottontail rabbits, deer mice, Virginia opossums, raccoons, groundhogs and Eastern red bats.
The key S-protein acquired at least two mutations, displayed in yellow in this simulation, that provided an evolutionary path for the virus to jump and transmit to other species. The purple part is the receptor thats recognized by the S-protein so the virus can enter. (Carla Finkielstein/Virginia Tech via SWNS)
The virus isolated from one opossum showed viral mutations that were previously unreported - and could potentially impact how the virus affects humans and their immune response.
Professor Carla Finkielstein said: The virus can jump from humans to wildlife when we are in contact with them, like a hitchhiker switching rides to a new, more suitable host.
The goal of the virus is to spread in order to survive.
"The virus aims to infect more humans, but vaccinations protect many humans.
"So, the virus turns to animals, adapting and mutating to thrive in the new hosts.
Covid infections were previously identified in wildlife, primarily in white-tailed deer and feral mink.
The Virginia Tech study significantly expands the number of species examined and the understanding of virus transmission to and among wildlife.
The data suggests exposure to the virus has been "widespread" in wildlife and that areas with high human activity may serve as points of contact for cross-species transmission.
Lab work inside the Virginia Tech Molecular Diagnostics Lab, pictured right: Professor Carla Finkielstein, co-corresponding author of the paper. (Virginia Tech via SWNS)
Professor Joseph Hoyt, of Virginia Tech's College of Science, said: This study was really motivated by seeing a large, important gap in our knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a broader wildlife community.
A lot of studies to date have focused on white-tailed deer, while what is happening in much of our common backyard wildlife remains unknown.
Researchers collected 798 nasal and oral swabs across Virginia from animals either live-trapped in the field and released, or being treated by wildlife rehabilitation centers. They also obtained 126 blood samples from six species.
The locations were chosen to compare the presence of the virus in animals in sites with varying levels of human activity, from urban areas to remote wilderness.
The study also identified two mice at the same site on the same day with the exact same variant, indicating they either both got it from the same human, or one infected the other.
Researchers are not certain about the means of transmission from humans to animals.
They say one possibility is wastewater, but the team believes rubbish bins and discarded food are more likely sources.
Study first author Dr. Amanda Goldberg said: I think the big take-home message is the virus is pretty ubiquitous.
We found positives in a large suite of common backyard animals.
The researchers say that while the study focused on Virginia, many of the species that tested positive are also common elsewhere, so it is likely they are being exposed in other areas as well.
Professor Finkielstein said: The virus is indifferent to whether its host walks on two legs or four. Its primary objective is survival.
A raccoon in the wild. (Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech via SWNS)
"Mutations that do not confer a survival or replication advantage to the virus will not persist and will eventually disappear."
The team say further research is needed to establish how the virus is transmitted from humans to wildlife, how it might spread within a species, and perhaps from one species to another.
Hoyt said: This study highlights the potentially large host range SARS-CoV-2 can have in nature and really how widespread it might be.
There is a lot of work to be done to understand which species of wildlife, if any, will be important in the long-term maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
Finkielstein added: "What weve already learned is that SARS CoV-2 is not only a human problem, and it takes a multidisciplinary team to address its impact on various species and ecosystems effectively.
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