Long COVID: Could Monoviruses or Adipocytes Play a Role?

The British historian, the Italian archaeologist, and the US kindergarten teacher have never met in person, but they share a striking bond in the pandemic.

Three women suffering from eerily similar symptoms are credited with describing, naming, and helping patients prolong their lives. COVID into the public consciousness in early 2020.

Liverpool’s Rachel Pope took to Twitter in late March 2020 to describe her troublesome symptoms after contracting coronavirus. Her Italian girlfriend Elisa Perego was the first to use the term “long”. COVID,” in a tweet in May of that year. Amy Watson, who lives in Portland, Oregon, took inspiration from the trucker hat she wore to name her Facebook support her group.

Nearly three years after the pandemic, scientists are trying to figure out why some people are living longer COVID And why so few people, including three women, have persistent symptoms.

millions of people around the world have long COVID, fatigue, lung problems, brain fog, and other neurological symptoms. Most evidence suggests that he will make a significant recovery within a year, but recent data show that he has killed more than 3,500 people in the United States.

Here’s some of the latest evidence:

Are women more at risk?

Many studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that women are more likely to grow longer than men COVID.

There may be biological reasons.

Women’s immune systems generally respond more strongly to viruses, bacteria, parasites and other germs, said Sabra Klein, a professor of immunity research at Johns Hopkins University.

Women are also much more likely than men to get autoimmune diseases, causing the body to mistakenly attack its own healthy cells. COVID It may be due to an autoimmune reaction caused by a virus.

A new study also suggests that women’s bodies tend to have more adipose tissue, and the new coronavirus may hide in fat after infection. Scientists are also studying whether fluctuating hormone levels in women may increase risk.

Another possible factor: Women tend to seek health care more than men and are often more sensitive to changes in their bodies.

“I don’t think we should ignore it,” she said. According to Klein, biology and behavior are probably both related.

So it may not be a coincidence that it was three women who helped keep the first light shining. COVID.

Pope, 46, began documenting what she experienced in March 2020. Following flu-like symptoms, her lungs, heart and joints were affected. A month later she started having a few days of her “OK” days, but her symptoms persisted.

Several of her similarly ill colleagues connected with Perego on Twitter. “We kind of started coming together because it was literally the only place where we could do that,” Pope said. “And then obviously it continued. I think I stopped joking.”

Watson launched its virtual long-haul transportation group that April. Others soon learned of the nickname and accepted it.

monovirus

Several studies suggest that the ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus may play a role in some long-lasting cases. COVID.

Dr. Timothy Henrich, a virus expert at the University of California, San Francisco, said the inflammation caused by coronavirus infection can activate the herpes virus that remains in the body after causing an acute infection.

Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most common of these herpesviruses, infecting an estimated 90% of the US population. Viruses can cause symptoms that may be dismissed as mononucleosis or the common cold.

Henrich is one of the researchers who discovered immune markers that signal long-term Epstein-Barr reactivation in the blood. COVID Patients, especially those with fatigue.

not long COVID Patients have these markers. But while Epstein-Barr may be causing the symptoms, scientists say more research is needed.

Some scientists also believe Epstein-Barr causes chronic fatigue syndrome. COVIDbut that’s not proven either.

obesity

Obesity is a risk factor for severe disease COVID-19 infection and scientists are trying to understand why.

Researchers at Stanford University are among those who have found evidence that the coronavirus can infect fat cells. and found signs of inflammation. COVID.

Laboratory tests have shown that the virus can grow in adipose tissue. This increases the likelihood that adipose tissue will act as a ‘reservoir’, leading to long-lasting energy replenishment. COVID.

Removing fatty tissue can treat or prevent some long-lasting cases COVIDWhile this is an intriguing question, the study is preliminary, says Katherine Blish, Ph.D., professor of infectious diseases at Stanford University and senior author of the study.?

Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are studying leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that can influence the body’s immune response and promote inflammation.

They plan to study whether injections of manufactured antibodies can lower leptin levels. COVID.

Dr. Philipp Scherer said:

interval

It is estimated that about 30% of people infected with coronavirus will develop long-term symptoms COVIDbased on early data from the pandemic.

Most people with prolonged, recurring, or new symptoms after infection recover after about three months. According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, about 15% of people who develop symptoms at 3 months will have symptoms for at least another 9 months.

Identifying who is at risk for years of symptoms is “a very complicated issue,” says Dr. Lawrence Purpula, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University.

People with severe infections appear to be more at risk over the long term COVID, can also affect people with mild infections.People whose infections cause severe lung damage, including scarring, may experience shortness of breath, coughing, or fatigue for a year or more.And a small group of patients have mild initial symptoms. COVIDInfection with -19 can cause neurological symptoms, such as chronic fatigue and brain fog, to last for a year or more, Purpura said.

“The majority of patients eventually recover,” he said. “It’s important that people know that.”

It’s a small consolation for the three women the world has helped recognize over the years. COVID.

Perego, 44, developed heart, lung and nervous system problems and remains seriously ill.

She knows that scientists have learned a lot in a short period of time, but there is a “gap” in the long term. COVID research and medicine.

“We need to translate scientific knowledge into better treatments and policies,” she said.

“I never recovered,” says Watson, who is approaching 50. In addition to severe migraines, she had digestive, nerve and leg problems.

She hopes the medical community will take a more systematic approach to long-term treatment. COVIDDoctors say that not knowing the underlying cause makes it difficult.

“I just want my life back,” said Watson.

The Associated Press’ Health Sciences Division is supported by the Scientific and Educational Media Group at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.