Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic Cats

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) preferentially infects cells in the respiratory tract,^1,2 but its direct affinity for organs other than the lungs remains poorly defined. Here, we present data from an autopsy series of 27 patients (see the clinical data in Table S1 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this letter at NEJM.org) that show that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in multiple organs, including the lungs, pharynx, heart, liver, brain, and kidneys.