Pathological evidence for residual SARS-CoV-2 in pulmonary tissues of a ready-for-discharge patient

SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus and causing COVID-19, has given rise to a worldwide pandemic. 1 , 2 So far, tens of thousands of COVID-19 patients have been clinically cured and discharged, but multiple COVID-19 cases showed SARS-CoV-2 positive again in discharged patients, 3 which raises an attention for the discharged patients. Also, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we conducted postmortem pathologic study in a ready-for-discharge COVID-19 patient who succumbed to sudden cardiovascular accident. Pathological examination revealed SARS-CoV-2-viruses remaining in pneumocytes and virus-caused pathological changes in the lungs. Our study provided new insights into SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and might facilitate the improvement of clinical guideline for virus containment and disease management.