Ohio may be home to world's longest COVID patient

If you live in Columbus and spend a lot of time in Washington Court House, scientists want to talk to you about your poop.

What's happening: An Ohio resident has been carrying a uniquely mutated strain of COVID-19 for at least two years, and researchers are trying to find them, WCMH-TV reports.

Why it matters: The patient could help scientists learn more about treating long COVID.

Catch up quick: Researchers regularly track virus trends by studying local wastewater, which contains genetic material people shed in their feces.

• This spring, University of Missouri molecular virologist Marc Johnson discovered a COVID strain in Columbus' sewer shed that predates the Delta variant of 2021.
• It continues to appear, and can sometimes be detected 47 miles away in Washington Court House, often on the same day.
• The Daily Mail first broke the peculiar story back in April, noting the world's longest confirmed COVID case to date was 505 days.

The latest: Researchers haven't made any progress identifying the person, Johnson posted this week on Twitter.

• 📬 Got any tips? Email [email protected].

Of note: COVID is inactive once it passes through somebody's gastrointestinal tract, so it's unlikely the person poses a threat to public health.