Welcome to this week's Long Covid Weekly newsletter! In this edition, we highlight crucial articles and research that provide insights into the ongoing battle against long COVID. Key topics include intensified efforts to treat Long Covid in kids and teens, the struggle for disability benefits by Long Covid sufferers, the potential of lower Long Covid risk from second infections, and a promising trial investigating a treatment for fatigue relief in people with Long Covid.
Slower than usual research week, but more information I would deem as ‘Hopeful’ than over the last couple of weeks.
I made a thread on the different illnesses that EBV is implicated in, & thought that some here would find it interesting.
Other News:
First edition of the Biotech Buzz dropped last week. As always, my Twitter can be found here.
Media
Article: Hospitals Intensify Efforts to Treat Long COVID in Kids and Teens
SUMMARY:
Hospitals are intensifying efforts to treat long COVID in children and teenagers
Dr. Uzma Hasan, the medical director of the Pediatric Post-COVID Care Program and division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, emphasized the need to raise awareness about the reality of long COVID in young people.
$62,000 and three years later: Long COVID continues to upend this California couple’s lives
SUMMARY:
The couple has spent roughly $62,000 on medical expenses related to long COVID and have faced challenges navigating the medical system, as well as dismissal and disbelief from doctors.
Garvin also highlights infrastructure issues, such as the lack of wheelchair-accessible features, that have added to her difficulties.
Dr. William W. Stringer, a pulmonologist, notes the lack of recognition and financial support for long COVID patients.
My Take: For many, Long Covid leaves a path of financial destruction. This is why LC needs a reliable biomarker, in my opinion.
**Disability Denied: Unable to Work, COVID Long Haulers Face Barriers to Benefits
SUMMARY:
The Social Security Administration provides benefits for long-term disabilities, but absent a single, verified test for long COVID, claims are difficult to prove by meeting the strict definition of disability, which refers to conditions lasting at least a year.
Though there are no statistics on the number of people applying for disability due to COVID-19, 20% of American adults aged 18-65 who recover from initial infection experience long COVID, according to a CDC study, and this proportion will likely increase as the virus circulates.
The disability application process can be especially gruelling for patients suffering from cognitive impairment and fatigue, with long forms requiring rigorous detailing of symptoms.
SUMMARY:
The chances of long COVID fall sharply between the first and second infections, but the risk does not fall to zero, according to recent research.
The study didn't examine why the risk for long COVID would be lower from a second infection than a first, but potential reasons include possible immunity from prior infections or innate predisposition to long COVID.
The results of the study are consistent with an earlier study in the US that found the risk of still experiencing health problems a year after getting COVID fell from about 10% from a first infection to about 6% from a second infection.
However, the overall number of people suffering from lingering health problems continues to increase.
Research
Article: Frontiers | Hypothesis: inflammatory acid-base disruption underpins Long Covid
SUMMARY:
We hypothesize that an inflammatory acid-base disruption underpins PASC and that viral proteins cause disease symptomology through disseminated tissue damage and inflammatory acid-base disruptions.
If the proposed evaluations confirm the hypothesis, this offers both a diagnostic pathway for PASC and suggestions for treatment.
Additionally, it is possible that even people without persistent symptoms following SARS-Co V-2 infection harbor residual tissue damage and viral proteins, increasing their risk of new health conditions in the future.
There are still many unanswered questions and the data from this hypothesis testing is urgently needed.
My Take: Need to spend some more time with this before I can give an opinion on this. It certainly is encouraging to have so many people driving hypotheses.
Article: High risk of autoimmune diseases after COVID-19 | Nature Reviews Rheumatology
SUMMARY:
SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to a substantially increased risk of developing a diverse spectrum of new-onset autoimmune diseases.
The incidence of autoimmune conditions at 6 months follow-up was significantly higher in the COVID-19 cohort than in the non-COVID-19 group.
Understanding how COVID-19 affects the risk of post-COVID-19 complications such as autoimmune disease will help to implement preventive measures and early treatment in individuals who have had COVID-19 to prevent morbidity and mortality.
My Take: Definitely read this! Pretty short and to the point. This confirms what a lot of us have been thinking.
SUMMARY:
The long-term impact of COVID-19 on brain function remains poorly understood, despite growing concern surrounding post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS).
The goal of this cross-sectional, observational study was to determine whether there are significant alterations in resting brain function among non-hospitalized individuals with PACS, compared to symptomatic individuals with non-COVID infection.
These results provide preliminary evidence that patterns of functional connectivity distinguish PACS from non-COVID infection and correlate with the severity of clinical outcome, providing novel insights into this highly prevalent disorder.
Article: ScienceDirect: Post-COVID Interstitial Lung Disease—The Tip of the Iceberg
SUMMARY:
Post-COVID fibrotic changes have shown resolution at 12 months, however, in a cohort of patients, the changes persist.
Studies have shown the presence of fibrosis being highest among those mechanically ventilated
The long-term impact of post-COVID fibrosis remains unknown and ongoing studies are aimed at assessing the frequency and consequences of this new disease entity.
Hope
Definitions:
Phase 2 clinical trial: A stage in the drug development process where the investigational treatment is tested in a larger group of people to determine its efficacy and to further evaluate its safety.
SUMMARY:
The University of Oxford have reported findings from a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the efficacy of an investigational treatment against long COVID fatigue.
The study, reported in eClinicalMedicine, found participants given the treatment, developed by US pharmaceutical company Axcella Therapeutics, reported feeling less fatigued than those given a placebo.
People living with long COVID in the trial who received AXA1125 had a significant improvement in fatigue compared to those who received a placebo.
AXA1125 was tested in long COVID fatigue as previous data from Axcella showed effects on cellular energetics and inflammation.
The research team also hope that future studies determine if the treatment is effective for an even larger group of long COVID patients.
By the end of last year, over 500 million cases of COVID-19 were reported across the world.Of these, up to 10% are thought to be suffering from Long COVID.
Article: Tiziana Life Sciences to assess intranasal foralumab for long Covid
SUMMARY:
Tiziana Life Sciences Plc to assess intranasal foralumab for long Covid
Foralumab is a fully human anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, which works by binding to the T-cell receptor and regulating T-cell function to reduce pulmonary inflammation.
The acid-base article contains a great explanation of the muscle fatigue in Long Covid. I found it fascinating. Thanks for all the research articles. Great newsletter!
PASC in my case started in April 2020 and had been slowly, glacially, retreating ever since. Now in the third year I am almost free of all discernible damage. But the hurricane did leave some wreckage behind- scarred lungs, persistent brain fog, heart damages. But overall I'd say that my case, as extreme as it was in 2020 and 2021, has steadily abated and there's hope for long term sufferers. I don't think anyone escapes unscathed from having had PASC, but things could have been much, much worse.