What is a Tissue Pathology Study?

Tissue pathology is the study of tissue samples from one’s body (blood, parts of the organs and other things inside the body) in a lab to learn how a disease affects different parts of the body. After taking tissue samples during an autopsy, RECOVER researchers look at the tissues under a microscope and do tests to learn:

  • How COVID affects different parts of the body
  • The long-term effects of COVID

Researchers will also look at information in the health record of the person who died.

What is an autopsy?

An autopsy is a medical exam of a body after death. When RECOVER researchers do an autopsy, they carefully and respectfully:

  • Look at the outside of the body to find any signs of health problems
  • Do surgery to look at the inside of the body, like bones and organs
  • Take small samples of blood, other body fluids, and tissues

Who will be part of RECOVER tissue pathology studies?

People of different ages, sexes, and racial and ethnic backgrounds will be part of RECOVER tissue pathology studies. The deceased person’s next of kin, such as a family member or loved one, gives permission for their deceased loved one to be in the study.

All deceased people will have had COVID. To find differences between the effects of COVID and Long COVID, the study includes people who did and didn’t have Long COVID.

Why have my deceased loved one join this study?

  • An autopsy can help understand the cause of your loved one’s death and learn about health conditions they had, which can help on your journey to closure. When a loved one dies, this research can be deeply meaningful for grieving family members, as they know their loved one is helping researchers learn how to help others in the future.
  • Many people who decided to have their loved ones do similar autopsy research have described it as a positive way to cope with great loss.

With care and respect, RECOVER researchers do the autopsy so an open casket funeral, or other event, is still possible. The researchers work with your family to make sure you can still have your funeral events on your preferred timeline.

Will I get results from the autopsy?

You can get a report of the autopsy results, if you are the legal next of kin.

The pathologist will write a report about what they learned from the autopsy, which will include the cause of death, if known. Reports are usually available within 60 working days, although some reports may take longer.

The report will not include research findings from the RECOVER study, such as information about genes (the part of DNA passed from parent to child that tells cells what to do).

Will the information learned from the autopsy be kept private (confidential)?

Yes, everything learned from the autopsy will be kept private, which means only people who have permission can see information about the autopsy. Those people include:

  • Doctors who cared for the person
  • The pathologists doing the autopsy or looking at the samples
  • Other trained healthcare providers
  • The RECOVER study research team—if the researchers talk about or write papers to share what they learn in this study, they will not include any information that could identify the people who had died and were part of the study

Will I have to pay for the autopsy?

No. There will be no cost to you or to the family for the autopsy.

How to enroll a loved one in the Tissue Pathology study

If you live near a hospital that is a study site, ask your loved one’s doctor to help you enroll your deceased loved one in the study. Your loved one’s doctor can connect you with study staff. You must enroll your loved one within 24 hours of the time of death.

Sites Enrolling in the Tissue Pathology Study

Sites Enrolling in the Tissue Pathology Study

We’re here to answer your questions about having your deceased loved one in RECOVER.

Email us your questions at:

RECOVER_Tissue_Pathology@nyulangone.org