Autoimmune Drugs May Prolong COVID Viral Signals

A new study suggests that people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may retain pieces of the COVID-19 virus in their bodies for longer periods after infection, particularly if they are taking immunosuppressive medications.

Researchers found that 40% of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases still had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antigens in their blood three months after infection, compared to 17.5% of those without these conditions. At 6 months, persistence remained higher in the autoimmune group. Notably, a viral protein called nucleocapsid, which is not produced by vaccines and indicates prior infection, was still detectable in nearly 20% of autoimmune patients after 6 months, compared with just 2.5% in others.

The researchers suggest that immunosuppressive therapies may contribute to the prolonged presence of viral antigens by altering the immune system’s clearance of viral material. However, it remains unclear whether the difference is driven by these medications, the underlying autoimmune condition, or other factors.

The study also did not find a clear link between antigen persistence and long COVID symptoms. Overall, the clinical significance of persistent viral proteins remains uncertain, and further research is needed to determine what these findings mean for patients.

Citation

Patel, N. J., Swank, Z., Wang, J., Wang, X., O’Keeffe, L. A., Negron, M., Getachew, L. S., Hansen, L. L., Qian, G., Saavedra, A. A., Mueller, K. T., Davis, N. A., Vanni, K. M. M., Savage, S., Lam, J. S., Wallace, Z. S., Walt, D. R., Sparks, J. A., & RECOVER‐Adult (2026). Differences in SARS-CoV-2 antigen persistence in individuals with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases compared to the general population: A RECOVER-Adult Cohort Study. Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 10.1002/art.70205. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.70205