Human Erythroid Progenitors Are Directly Infected by SARS-CoV-2: Implications for Emerging Erythropoiesis in Severe COVID-19 Patients

Summary We document here that intensive care COVID-19 patients suffer a profound decline in hemoglobin levels but show an increase of circulating nucleated red cells, suggesting SARS-CoV-2 infection either directly or indirectly induces stress erythropoiesis. ACE2 expression peaks during erythropoiesis and renders erythroid progenitors vulnerable to by SARS-CoV-2. Early progenitors, defined as CD34−CD117+CD71+CD235a−, the highest constitute primary target cell be infected causes expansion colony formation can detected these cells after 2 weeks initial infection. Our findings first report infectivity progenitor contribute understanding both clinical symptoms severe how virus spread through circulation produce local inflammation tissues, including bone marrow.