What I've Learned About Long COVID: A Gut-First Framework — 1. The ACE2 Gateway: Why Your Gut Is Ground Zero

Your gut isn&#8217;t a random target for SARS-CoV-2. The virus needs ACE2 receptors to enter cells, and your small intestine has some of the highest densities of ACE2 expression in your body. Higher, in many cases, than your lungs. This isn&#8217;t an accident&#8212;it means the primary viral assault in COVID often happens in your gut epithelium first, not as a secondary event.