Npj virusesMar 2, 2026

Long-lasting problems and damage in the upper breathing passages of hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2

Long Covid Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters showed prolonged upper-airway viral signals and tissue pathology after acute infection.

Evidence

Preclinical hamster infection study assessed nasal turbinate SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, sgRNA, pathology, inflammatory and apoptotic markers, and viral-entry receptor expression up to 120 days post-infection.

Caveat

The findings are from hamsters and suggest, rather than prove, drivers of human respiratory or secondary-infection susceptibility.

Simplified

Respiratory symptoms, including dyspnea and breathing pattern disorders, are frequently reported in convalescent COVID-19 patients. Yet the mechanisms driving these persistent respiratory manifestations remain poorly elucidated. In this study, we characterized persistent upper respiratory tract pathology in SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. Strikingly, we observed persistent expression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein and subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) gene, which resulted in sustained tissue pathologies, dysregulation of pro-inflammatory markers, pro-apoptotic genes, as well as the altered expression of viral entry receptors, in the nasal turbinate of infected hamsters up to 120 days post-infection. These findings indicate that residual viral components may contribute to dysregulation of tissue repair and remodeling, chronic tissue pathology, and potentially enhanced susceptibility to secondary respiratory infections upon SARS-CoV-2 infection even upon recovery of acute infection. Collectively, our study provides insights into potential drivers of post-acute COVID-19 sequelae in the upper respiratory tract.

Key numbers

7.7×

Increased CX3CR1 Expression

Comparison of CX3CR1 levels in nasal turbinate at 120 days post-infection vs. mock controls.

29% or 2/7

Sustained Viral RNA Detection

Percentage of hamsters with detectable RdRp gene at 120 days post-infection.

higher than mock-infected

Pro-inflammatory Marker Persistence

Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels remained elevated at 120 days post-infection compared to controls.

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Funding

Competing interests

0%of authors

0 of 15

authors report competing interests

15 report none

PubMed

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