This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in rectal tissue of infected Danish patients (adults and children), whether the fecal-oral route may be transmissive, and if rectal shedding is correlated with disease severity. Half of infected individuals with positive pharyngeal tests also tested positive from rectal swabs. For some individuals, rectal swabs remained positive for nearly a month after negative pharyngeal tests. Despite active viral replication in rectal tissues, the study does not find a correlation between rectal shedding and disease severity and calls for further research.