All articles tagged with #long covid
A physician watches his 28-year-old daughter, Samantha, endure severe long COVID, a condition now recognized to have eight distinct forms; despite growing scientific awareness, effective treatments remain scarce, forcing patients to carefully budget energy, endure debilitating “crashes” that can confine them to bed for days, and rely on disciplined routines as researchers seek better therapies.
A 34-year-old writer recounts living with long Covid—enduring fatigue, nausea, and multi-system symptoms that upended her career and finances—while detailing ongoing, multi-specialist care. She describes how careful, low-level activity and a support network enable moments of normalcy, such as buoyancy-assisted diving, underscoring the need for sustained research and accessible treatment for a condition with a broad and evolving impact.
A literature review of randomized trials and health-record analyses suggests that taking metformin during acute COVID-19 can reduce the risk of developing long COVID by roughly 40%–60%, though it is studied for prevention rather than treatment of existing long COVID; findings, including the COVID-OUT trial and EHR-based studies, have replicated this protective effect and point to possible antiviral benefits and compatibility with other antivirals, making metformin a potential low-cost outpatient preventive option.
New research shows leftover fragments from SARS-CoV-2 form protein pieces that bind to curved membranes on immune cells, suppressing dendritic cells and T cells and potentially driving long-COVID; Omicron fragments appear less damaging to these cells, highlighting variant differences while underscoring ongoing COVID risks and the value of vaccination.
New evidence suggests long COVID is associated with persistent immune dysregulation that may drive new allergic conditions. Studies link SARS-CoV-2 infection to higher risks of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis, with vaccination offering protection. Some researchers also point to mast cell activation syndrome as part of long COVID's allergic manifestations. Clinicians report anecdotal and clinic-based increases in allergies post-COVID and call for early screening, biomarker research, and prospective trials to prevent or modify these outcomes.
New evidence shows COVID-19 can cause lasting health problems—from cognitive impairment to neurodevelopmental issues in newborns—and may raise risks for cancer relapse and cardiovascular disease, even after mild infections. Critics say Trump-era policy shifts limited vaccine recommendations and halted funding for next-gen vaccines, while officials insist vaccines remain available and guidance now emphasizes informed decision-making. With vaccination rates low and long-term harms potentially driving economic costs, researchers call for more funding and long-term monitoring of recovered patients.
As COVID-19 enters its seventh year, the pandemic persists with high transmission and ongoing waves—the US reports a 12th major wave and over 1.2 million official deaths, while global excess mortality runs into tens of millions (central estimates around 27 million); about 1 million infections per day in recent times and Long COVID affecting millions, underscoring that the toll endures even as public attention has shifted.
A Griffith University study using multimodal MRI compared Long COVID, recovered, and healthy controls (47 participants) and found lasting differences in brain tissue microstructure in regions tied to memory and coordination—brainstem, cerebellum, and white-matter tracts—persisting even in people who report full recovery, suggesting COVID-19 can leave invisible neurological footprints with potential long-term effects.
A multimodal MRI study comparing Long COVID, recovered (symptom-free), and never-infected groups (47 participants) found distinct brain changes in tissue microstructure and neurochemistry associated with Long COVID and footprints in those who have fully recovered. Differences include altered myelin proxies (T1w/T2w) in motor and memory regions, diffusion changes in the cerebellum and brainstem, and metabolic shifts (lower glutamine, higher N-acetyl-aspartate) that correlated with physical function and cognitive scores. The study suggests SARS-CoV-2 may leave a brain footprint even after apparent recovery, but its cross-sectional design and small sample size mean longitudinal research is needed to determine permanence and timeline.
CNN reports the Defense Department allegedly found a device that could cause Havana Syndrome, discovered in an undercover operation and purchased for eight figures; officials from the Pentagon, DHS, and CIA did not immediately comment. Havana Syndrome (also called Anomalous Health Incidents) has affected diplomats in dozens of countries and features symptoms like ear-popping, vertigo, headaches, nausea, and directional noise, though NIH says there is no MRI-detectable brain injury. The exact cause remains unclear, with theories ranging from pulsed radio waves to microwaves and pulsed electromagnetic energy; some 2024 investigations tied Russia’s GRU to attacks, while CIA officials have cautioned against assuming a foreign campaign.
A comprehensive review of long COVID identifies key symptom clusters, including fatigue, respiratory, neurologic, and other symptoms, highlighting the importance of personalized treatment approaches and the influence of demographic and viral factors on symptom presentation.
Research using advanced MRI techniques shows that COVID-19 can cause lasting changes in the brain even after full recovery, potentially leading to long-term neurological effects and cognitive issues, regardless of ongoing symptoms.
A new hypothesis suggests that damage to the brainstem caused by viral infections like COVID-19 may underlie symptoms of Long COVID and ME/CFS, potentially explaining their multi-system effects and guiding future research and treatments.
Researchers suggest that dormant infections like Epstein-Barr virus and tuberculosis may contribute to long COVID symptoms, highlighting the need to explore co-infections and immune system interactions for better understanding and treatment of the condition.
Research using advanced MRI techniques shows that COVID-19 can leave lasting effects on the brain, affecting both recovered individuals and those with Long COVID, potentially explaining ongoing cognitive issues.