Temporal and dosage-dependent transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 in lung, trachea, brain, olfactory bulb and small intestine of Syrian golden hamsters

Here we report the transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian golden hamsters and compare it to the host response against Influenza A virus. The virus replicates fast to high titers in the respiratory tract followed by a local and systemic inflammatory response. A roust IFN-I reponse is mounted and lasts at leaset fourteen days in distal tissues together with other lasting transcriptional changes. Syrian golden hamsters were infected with a low or a high dose of SARS-CoV-2 for either 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 14 days and five tissues were collected and examined by mRNA-sequencing.