Long Covid Research,
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some of our latest newsletters:
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Brain scans show lasting metabolic changes in long COVID patients up to 2 years later
New research is painting a clearer picture of what's happening inside the bodies of people with long COVID—and the findings suggest these aren't just "in their heads."
🧠 Brain scans reveal persistent metabolic dysfunction in long COVID
- 40 long COVID patients underwent brain PET scans, revealing significant metabolic changes that persisted up to 2 years after infection
- Those with fatigue and post-exertional malaise (29 patients) showed the most pronounced brain changes, particularly in areas controlling movement and vision
- The left sensorimotor cortex and bilateral primary visual cortex showed significant hypometabolism (reduced energy use) compared to healthy controls
Why it matters: These objective brain imaging findings provide biological evidence for the neurological symptoms many long COVID patients experience, potentially validating their experiences and guiding future treatments.
Key Findings
🔬 Mitochondrial dysfunction emerges as key long COVID feature
- Multi-omics analysis across human and animal studies found persistent suppression of cellular energy production (oxidative phosphorylation)
- Skeletal muscle showed the most pronounced and lasting mitochondrial dysfunction in both hamsters and human patients
- Serum analysis in long COVID patients revealed sustained mitochondrial stress responses and increased oxidative stress up to 12 months post-infection
🩸 Blood clotting abnormalities persist in long COVID
- Thromboelastography testing showed long COVID patients had increased clot strength and reduced clot breakdown compared to controls
- Persistent fibrinoid microclots were found to impair microcirculation in both long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome patients
- Promising therapeutic trials with anticoagulants like apixaban and fibrinolytics like lumbrokinase are underway but need further validation
💉 Vaccination protects kids from long COVID complications
- Taiwan's DISCOVER study found vaccination significantly reduced gastrointestinal sequelae in children with long COVID
- Vaccinated children showed preserved lung function by preventing small airway resistance increases
- A preliminary trial suggested vitamin D supplementation may reduce overall symptom burden and inflammatory markers in pediatric long COVID
🧬 Genetic variants amplify long-term clotting risks after COVID
- 504 adults tested 2+ years after COVID showed that common genetic variants (F2, F5, MTHFR) independently predicted higher D-dimer levels
- COVID-19 significantly amplified the effects of these genetic variants on blood clotting markers
- Carriers of thrombophilia variants showed 31-67% higher D-dimer levels, with the strongest effects in those with MTHFR TT genotype
🎯 Major clinical trial launches to test exercise interventions
- RECOVER-ENERGIZE will test two different approaches: cardiopulmonary rehabilitation for patients without post-exertional malaise, and structured activity pacing for those with it
- The 12-week interventions will be delivered across multiple centers with assessments continuing 12 weeks after completion
- Novel features include formal PEM assessment and coach-delivered pacing interventions designed to prevent symptom worsening
⚖️ Healthcare inequities compound long COVID struggles
- Focus groups with racialized immigrants and non-immigrants in Canada revealed how medical uncertainty around long COVID diagnosis amplifies existing inequalities
- Participants faced barriers accessing health, economic, and political resources needed for daily survival
- Long COVID uncertainties created new forms of social suffering by delegitimizing symptoms and placing responsibility on patients
Implications
These studies collectively point to long COVID as a complex, multi-system condition with measurable biological underpinnings—from brain metabolism changes to cellular energy dysfunction. The research suggests that targeted interventions, genetic risk assessment, and addressing healthcare inequities will all be crucial for improving outcomes for the estimated 65 million people worldwide living with long COVID.
Science is the only real news.
The rest is just drama 📰
And nowadays, we see that drama everywhere.
Drama sells ads, ads sell products, and my attention sells to the highest bidder.
Drama media is junk food for the mind.
A quick rush, hard to avoid, but little nutritional value.
The brain wants broccoli 🧠🥦
And look, it's not that science never makes the news.
But think about when it does—does the news really understand the science it reports on?
Like it or not, AI exists now.
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…with a superpower…
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