A group of researchers In New York has revealed new insights on how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, can cause long-term suffering.

The scientists found that SARS-CoV-2 infection left a gene expression signature in the dorsal root ganglia that remained even after the virus had cleared. Gene expression patterns in pain produced by various conditions matched the profile.

"A considerable number of persons with lengthy Covid exhibit sensory abnormalities, including various forms of pain," said Randal (Alex) Serafini, a researcher at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine.  "We employed RNA sequencing to gain a snapshot of the molecular alterations SARS-CoV-2 causes in the dorsal root ganglia, a pain-transmitting tissue," Serafini explained.

The research team used a hamster model of intranasal Covid-19 infection that closely mirrored the symptoms experienced by patients for the study, which will be presented at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics' annual meeting.

Early after infection, SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters displayed a mild hypersensitivity to touch, which became more intense over time, up to 30 days, according to the researchers. They next repeated the trials with the Influenza A virus to see if other RNA viruses elicited the same responses.

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