Abstract. Nonhuman primate (NHP) models of SARS-CoV-2 infection showed mostly mild disease. Infection of old-world origin baboons however showed moderate disease especially with significantly more lung pathology and evidence of viral dissemination to extrapulmonary tissues. Baboons are therefore an important model to study the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify therapeutic approaches to control COVID-19. We hypothesize that a study of long term effects of COVID-19 in the lung and other compartments is therefore best studied in a model like baboon. Here we propose experiments to address this issue.