Where does COVID hide after recovery? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT04448145
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study follows about 800 people who have recovered from COVID-19 to learn how long the virus can stay in different parts of the body, such as the nose, stool, semen, and breast milk. Researchers will also track how the immune system responds and look for any long-term health problems. The goal is to better understand recovery and help doctors give better advice to patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 800 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2020
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
All participants with RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 or diagnosed empirically based on known exposure and symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Empirically diagnosed individuals who are negative at baseline by RT-PCR and serology Immunoglobulin M (IgM)/Immunoglobulin G (IgG) will be classified as uninfected and will not participate further, but may be replaced. Negative participants with no known prior COVID-19 diagnosis or COVID-19 vaccine.
- Ages
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7 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 using currently available laboratory testing techniques (e.g.,RT-PCR, Immunoglobulin M (IgM) /IgG) or clinical history compatible with a COVID-19 like illness(fever, cough, shortness of breath). * Negative participants with no known prior COVID-19 diagnosis or COVID vaccine * At least 7 years of age * Participants are eligible to provide semen and breast milk samples if they are 18 years of age or older Exclusion Criteria: * Age \<7 * Intercurrent conditions that in the opinion of the investigator would confound the findings of the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Columbia University Medical Center
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Does COVID-19 hide in the gut? scientists probe stool for clues
- Blood samples and health records could reveal why some COVID-19 cases turn severe
- Home antibody tests put to the test: can you read your own COVID-19 result?
- Can lung ultrasound reveal COVID-19's signature in the lungs?
- Can a mild case of COVID-19 harm your kidneys? urine tests may hold the answer
- When the immune system Can't fight back: tracking three respiratory viruses