A new study reveals striking biological similarities between five major illnesses, including long Covid and PTSD, suggesting common underlying mechanisms. Chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis may be driven by shared regulatory networks in immune and metabolic systems.
A clinical trial funded by NIH found that PAXLOVID does not improve Long COVID symptoms, but its extended duration did not cause serious side effects. The study recruited 959 patients and monitored symptoms over six months.
Researchers have identified a subset of B cells known as atypical memory cells as the primary precursors of autoantibody-producing cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection. These cells adopt a markedly different biological program, leading to increased autoantibody production. The study provides new insight into how viral infections can trigg...
A recent study found that night shift workers are nearly twice as likely to develop long COVID, with chronic insomnia further increasing the risk. The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, highlights the importance of healthy sleep habits in preventing long COVID.
A recent study found that severe COVID-19 reactivates certain dormant viruses in hospitalized patients, which may contribute to autoimmune disease and chronic conditions. Notably, reactivation of Anelloviridae viruses was associated with long-term physical disability and long COVID.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have made significant progress in understanding the causes of long COVID, focusing on changes in virus-specific immune cells. Specifically, they found that people with long COVID have distinctive changes in CD8 T cells, which are specialized to protect against specific viruses.
A new study reveals that Republican lawmakers sponsored 86% of antivaccine bills introduced in state legislatures after the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers supported provaccine bills, highlighting partisan polarization's impact on vaccine access and public health.
Researchers have discovered significant dopamine system injury in the brains of long COVID patients, associated with fatigue, brain fog, and memory difficulties. The findings suggest new potential treatment strategies targeting dopamine-releasing neurons.
Researchers have found that GLP-1 agonists can normalize genetic pathways involved in pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease associated with Long COVID. The treatment has shown promise in reducing the risk of fibrous buildup, suggesting potential benefits for people with type 2 diabetes and severe COVID-19 symptoms.
This cohort study found that TCM syndrome differentiation-based treatment improved clinical outcomes and reduced TCM symptom scores in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The study showed favorable efficacy across subgroups, with a higher effective rate in the treatment group compared to the control group.
A large clinical trial found that commonly used antihistamines and an anti-inflammatory drug, colchicine, had a small but significant benefit in reducing long Covid fatigue. However, the benefits were not sustained after stopping treatment.
A study from Linköping University finds that mild COVID-19 can lead to long-term eye problems, including abnormal pupil function and strabismus, affecting daily life. Researchers developed a diagnostic model to detect these issues, which may lead to effective treatment.
A new clinical trial led by University College London researchers found that ten weeks of cognitive rehabilitation can help people with long Covid symptoms such as brain fog achieve their goals in returning to work and hobbies. The treatment yielded benefits that lasted for at least six months for most participants.
A study by the University of São Paulo found that people with diabetes who have had COVID-19 tend to recover more slowly and experience more long COVID complications, including greater physical and cognitive difficulties. The study also found a higher risk of cardiovascular complications, such as heart attacks and angina.
A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that metformin reduced the risk of clinician-diagnosed long COVID by 50% when administered during acute COVID-19 infection. The study, which enrolled nearly 3,000 adults, showed improved long-term outcomes and no safety concerns.
Researchers at Mount Sinai have found that autoimmunity is responsible for the symptoms of long COVID in a subset of people. The study suggests that therapies already validated for managing autoimmunity, such as IVIG and FcRn inhibitors, could be effective in reducing symptom burden.
A new study published in JAMA Network Open found that approximately 16% of patients with COVID-19 developed long COVID, translating to over 18 million Americans. The study used a novel AI algorithm to identify cases undetected by existing diagnostic systems.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that adults with better Life's Essential 8 scores had lower odds of becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. The research suggests that having a healthy heart helps prepare the body for real-life stress tests, such as infectious diseases like COVID-19.
A Mayo Clinic study analyzed records of 571 adults with ME/CFS and found that family medicine physicians often prescribed common pain-relievers and sleep aids before specialist consultation. The study suggests that these medications may be underutilized for treating core symptoms of ME/CFS, such as fatigue and brain fog.
A new study by the University of Turku found that long COVID patients experience increased brain activity in mood and emotion regions, rather than widespread brain inflammation. The study suggests that treatments targeting stress and emotional regulation may be more effective for patients with prolonged symptoms.
A new study found that pediatric patients with long-COVID experience a high symptom burden, including sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. The study describes an interdisciplinary care approach that incorporates integrative medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications to manage symptoms.
Among highly boosted patients with cancer, overall postacute sequelae risk was not elevated compared to noninfected patients; hospitalized COVID-19 patients remained at increased risk despite therapeutics. Vaccination and boosting remain important in mitigating long COVID among immunocompromised patients
A global research team has identified fluvoxamine as a medication that significantly improves fatigue and quality of life among adults with long COVID. The study found consistent and meaningful benefits from the widely available antidepressant.
A new study suggests that autoantibodies from Long COVID patients can induce persistent pain-like symptoms in mice, providing evidence for a potential causal role of autoantibodies in the condition. The research also highlights distinct biological subgroups and offers hope for targeted antibody-based therapies.
Long COVID affects quality of life with neuropsychiatric issues like cognitive dysfunction, depression, and memory loss, impacting daily tasks and work. The review highlights the need for standardized diagnosis and treatment to address this chronic condition.
A new study found that over 155,000 US deaths between March 2020 and December 2021 were not officially recorded as COVID-19 deaths, highlighting critical gaps in the death investigation system. These unrecognized deaths disproportionately affected certain populations, including racial and ethnic minorities.
A large randomized trial found that high-dose vitamin D3 did not reduce COVID-19 infection severity, but may impact long COVID outcomes. Researchers observed a promising signal that vitamin D supplementation could reduce long COVID symptoms, warranting further research in larger populations.
Severe COVID-19 and influenza infections can prime the lungs for cancer development, according to new research. Vaccination, however, largely prevents these changes, suggesting a reduced risk of lung cancer.
A new study from Linköping University has identified common steps and turning points in patients' stories, contributing to new ways of understanding and rehabilitating conditions like post-COVID-19 condition, exhaustion disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Participants described seeking knowledge outside the healthcare system and fi...
A new Tulane University study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes persistent brain inflammation and small blood vessel injury, even after the virus is no longer detectable. This finding helps explain why long COVID often includes neurological symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue.
A phase 3 trial will assess the efficacy of baricitinib in reducing persistent neurological and cardiopulmonary symptoms of long COVID. The study, REVERSE-LC, aims to address the massive public health problem of long COVID, which affects millions worldwide.
A new study found that patients with Long COVID have a larger choroid plexus, which tracks with Alzheimer's disease markers and greater dementia risk. The research also suggests that CP alterations may predict long-term cognitive issues in some individuals.
Researchers found that certain types of CD8+ killer T cells are more abundant in people with MS and target the EBV virus, indicating the virus may trigger an immune response leading to progressive neurological damage. The study suggests that interfering with EBV could have a significant impact on other autoimmune diseases.
A team of researchers at Lancaster University has created a digital platform called 'Pace Me' to help people with Long COVID manage their energy levels. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that the intervention was safe and well-received, but did not outperform standard care in reducing symptoms.
A big data study has identified a specific molecular state of immune cells as associated with the severity of fatigue and respiratory symptoms in Long COVID patients. This finding offers exciting starting points for further research into genetic risk factors and individualised medicine.
The study found that metformin reduces the risk of developing Long COVID by approximately one case for every 50 cases of acute SARS-CoV-2 treated with 14 days of metformin. Metformin can be used alone or combined with other treatments to prevent Long COVID in most adults.
A large international study found that patients with long COVID-19 in the US report higher rates of brain fog, depression, and cognitive symptoms compared to those in India and Nigeria. The study suggests that lower stigma and greater access to neurological and mental health care may contribute to these differences.
A UC San Diego study found that older women with a history of depression and anxiety had a 78% higher risk of developing long COVID. The researchers analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative and hope to inform preventative measures for public health officials and policymakers.
A recent study by a UCLA-led team reveals that leftover COVID-19 viral fragments can selectively accumulate on and penetrate star-shaped surfaces of dendritic cells and T cells, killing these immune cells. In contrast, the omicron variant's smaller fragments have little effect on these cells.
A multi-center observational study found that households facing food insecurity and challenges like low social support had a significantly higher risk of long COVID. Healthy diets may protect against the risk, highlighting the need for addressing adverse social factors in disease prevention.
Public Health Alerts provide concise, data-driven information on disease outbreaks and urgent health events. The new series, launched by NEJM Evidence and CIDRAP, offers expert-reviewed reports to support public health evidence-based care.
Researchers have identified 32 causal genes that increase the likelihood of developing long COVID, including 13 new genes not previously associated with the disease. The study's findings could lead to more precise diagnoses and treatment options for the condition, which affects an estimated 400 million people worldwide.
Researchers studying long COVID are drawing parallels with historical chronic illnesses, highlighting the need for effective interventions. By analyzing past epidemics and post-acute infection syndromes, scientists hope to gain insight into the mechanisms of these conditions.
Researchers identified eight different long COVID trajectories, depending on severity and duration of symptoms, in a study of over 3,500 adult participants. The study found that 10.3% of patients had long COVID symptoms three months after infection, with 81% continuing to experience persistent or intermittent symptoms a year later.
Researchers discovered a 'sticky' molecule, P-selectin, that can cause blood clots and organ failure during COVID-19. A new mRNA therapy that drives P-selectin expression provides broad protection against coronavirus infection.
A clinical trial found that nicotinamide riboside supplementation improved fatigue, sleep, and depressive symptoms in some people with long COVID. However, the overall results did not show significant differences between groups, suggesting that individual responses may vary.
A new study found that vaccinated adolescents had a 13% risk of long COVID, compared to 20% among unvaccinated peers. The research suggests that COVID vaccination can help mitigate the risk of long COVID in adolescents and allow them to live their lives normally after infection.
A recent study published in BMC Medicine has identified that the sequence of previous diseases may help predict the risk of long COVID. The research analyzed health trajectories over time and found that taking into account the interaction of diseases can improve prediction accuracy.
A new digital clinical trial is testing a repurposed drug, tirzepatide, to provide relief from long COVID symptoms. The study aims to enroll 1,000 participants and explore the effect of tirzepatide on long COVID over one year.
Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder are at higher risk of postacute sequelae of COVID-19. Coordinated mental health and COVID-19 care is crucial to mitigate these effects.
A new Northwestern University study reveals that abnormal cells in transplanted lungs engage in harmful 'conversations' with the immune system, leading to damage and rejection. The findings provide a comprehensive roadmap for treating chronic lung allograft dysfunction and other scarring lung diseases.
A study published in BMC Medicine reveals that vascular dysfunction is a key mechanism in long COVID, especially in postmenopausal women. The researchers identified the VEGFA protein as a central element in this process, highlighting its role in blood vessel formation and vascular function.
A new study from Karolinska Institutet reveals that postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) affects nearly a third of patients with severe long COVID, with middle-aged women being the most common demographic. Researchers emphasize that POTS can be detected with simple tests and treated to alleviate symptoms.
A study published in Frontiers in Immunology has identified pentraxin 3 (PTX-3) as a potential biomarker for existing tissue damage and long-term immune activation following severe COVID-19. PTX-3 levels were found to be significantly higher in convalescent patients with a severe disease course persisting ten weeks post-infection.
A new pediatric study found that young people infected with COVID twice are twice as likely to develop long COVID, with increased risks for heart disease, damaged kidneys, cognitive issues, and more. The study analyzed data from over 407,000 patients across 40 pediatric hospitals.
A new study found that 80% of participants who reported a change in their smelling ability after COVID-19 scored low on a clinical scent-detection test two years later. Those with a history of COVID-19 may be especially at risk for hyposmia, an issue underrecognized among the general population.
Research confirms bidirectional relationship between long COVID and menstrual disorders, with symptoms intensifying during perimenstrual phases. The study suggests an inflammatory reaction as the underlying cause, paving the way for new therapeutic prospects tailored to women.
A major report published by the European Society of Cardiology outlines expert recommendations for diagnosing, treating, and preventing COVID-19-related cardiovascular effects. The report emphasizes the importance of vaccination, cardiac rehabilitation programs, and equal access to services.
The report makes recommendations for diagnosing, treating and preventing serious heart and blood vessel complications linked to the virus. Structured cardiac rehabilitation programmes are also recommended to prevent long-term problems after infection and aid recovery from long Covid.
Researchers discovered that COVID-19 can persist in gastrointestinal tissue for up to six weeks after a positive nasal swab test, leading to increased inflammation and damage. The study highlights the need for monitoring patients with high levels of SERPINA1, who may be at risk for poor outcomes.