Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection and the risk for cancer.

The current SARS-CoV-2 has put significant strain on healthcare services worldwide due to acute COVID-19. However, the potential long-term effects of this infection haven't been extensively discussed. We hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 may be able to cause persistent infection in some individuals, and should this be the case, that in a few years we may see a rise in cancer incidence due to carcinogenic effects of this coronavirus.