Research Projects

sARs-CoV2 has infected 5.5% of the global population, with a 1.4% mortality rate. Most cases develop pulmonary pathologies, including pneumonia, lung damage, and respiratory distress. However, a significant number of clinical cases result in extra-pulmonary pathologies affecting various organ systems. Host virus-entry factors, such as ACE2, TMPRss2, and NRP-1, lead to the spread of the virus to different organs and a host inflammatory response. This can lead to multiple-organ pathology associated with COVID-19. Post-acute COVID sequalae (PACs) is a group of symptoms that persist long after patients have been tested negative for sARs-CoV-2. The current study aims to address two important questions about PACs using a small animal model. The study will evaluate the tissue tropism of sARs-CoV-2 in infected animals, identifying subtle differences in viral load and expression patterns during peak infection and post-recovery phases. The findings will be of particular therapeutic relevance, providing future directs to design and evaluation of not only immediate pulmonary pathologies but also PACs.