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Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 virus and pathological features of multiple organs in COVID-19 patients remains unclear, which interferes with the improvement of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. In this article, we summarize the pathological findings obtained from systematic autopsy (37 cases) and percutaneous multiple organ biopsy (“minimally invasive autopsy”, 54 cases). These findings should shed light on better understanding of the progression of COVID-19 infection and the means of more effective intervention.

The lung is the primary organ targeted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), making respiratory failure a leading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality. However, our cellular and molecular understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 infection drives lung pathology is limited. Here we constructed multi-omics and single-nucleus transcriptomic atlases of the lungs of patients with COVID-19, which integrate histological, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Our work reveals the molecular basis of pathological hallmarks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in different lung and infiltrating immune cell populations. We report molecular fingerprints of hyperinflammation, alveolar epithelial cell exhaustion, vascular changes and fibrosis, and identify parenchymal lung senescence as a molecular state of COVID-19 pathology. Moreover, our data suggest that FOXO3A suppression is a potential mechanism underlying the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition associated with COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis. Our work depicts a comprehensive cellular and molecular atlas of the lungs of patients with COVID-19 and provides insights into SARS-CoV-2-related pulmonary injury, facilitating the identification of biomarkers and development of symptomatic treatments.

Pt/MnO2 nanostructured catalysts with cocoon-, urchin-, and nest-like morphologies were synthesized by a facile method. The synthesized MnO2 nanostructures and Pt/MnO2 catalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM analyses showed that Pt nanoparticles of 1–4 nm were evenly dispersed on the surface of three MnO2 nanostructures, and no Pt nanoparticle agglomeration occurred in the Pt/MnO2 catalysts. These Pt/MnO2 catalysts showed much higher catalytic activities than the corresponding MnO2 nanostructures for oxidative decomposition of formaldehyde. Comparison of Pt/MnO2 catalysts with varied Pt loadings and MnO2 morphologies revealed that 2 wt % is the optimal Pt loading, and 2 wt % Pt/nest-like MnO2 showed the highest catalytic activity for oxidative decomposition of formaldehyde (temperature for complete decomposition of HCHO is 70 °C). The high dispersion and small size of Pt nanoparticles and the synergistic effect between the Pt nanoparticle and MnO2 nanostructure are considered to be the main reasons for the observed high catalytic activity of Pt/nest-like MnO2.