Because SARS-CoV-2 can bind with “ACE2” proteins on the surface of cells throughout the body, Covid can cause severe and lasting damage to nearly every organ, including the liver and kidneys.

Long Covid’s effect on the liver — which plays a crucial role in supplying energy to the body — was apparent, for example, when doctors noted a sharp increase in the number of kids hospitalized with hepatitis after Covid infection. Abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, swelling, and clotting problems are other symptoms that can result from Covid’s damage to the liver.

Damage to the kidneys — which help the body remove waste, absorb nutrients, and regulate bodily processes — can threaten essential bodily functions and put the heart, lungs, and other organs at risk. Kidney function cannot always be recovered after damage, potentially leading to death or requiring ongoing treatment (dialysis) to help the body compensate for failing kidneys.