Extended Data Fig. 1: Post mortem tissue collection platform for correlated studies of inflammatory processes in COVID-19.

Tissue samples were collected from several brain areas and peripheral organs (lung, liver and spleen tissues analysed) of 11 COVID-19 cases with post-mortem CSF samples from all patients. Autopsies were performed 5–12 hours after death. After removal, all tissue blocks were immediately dissected into two parts, one frozen on dry ice for molecular biology studies and the other immersion fixed with Zamboni fixative. Through the whole fixation process tissue blocks were kept on a shaker and the fixative solution was changed in every hour for 6 hours at room temperature. Then, tissue blocks were postfixed for 12 hours, washed with 0.1M PB for 1–2 days and were cut with vibratome or embedded into paraffin for histological assessment. Free floating sections were examined by immunofluorescent labeling and confocal fluorescent laser scanning/superresolution microscopy and EM. FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) sections were labelled with DAB immunoperoxidase. Sets of frozen tissue samples were processed for qPCR, cytometric bead array and single nuclear RNAseq studies, proteomic analysis was performed on CSF samples and medulla tissue homogenates.