Editor’s note: We’re shifting our article format this week to include research updates on our website, while we highlight upcoming events and advocacy opportunities in our newsletter and on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky).
- A new study in Nature Immunology suggests there is low-level viral persistence in people with Long Covid. “Such exhaustion is typically seen in chronic viral infections such as HIV, and means the T cell branch of the immune system stops responding to a virus and no longer kills infected cells,” said Michael Peluso, the co-first author. “This finding fits with some hypotheses that Long Covid, or at least some cases of it, are caused by persistent infections by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.” The analysis suggested this could lead it immune dysregulation, inflammation, and clinical symptoms. Read coverage of the study in the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Another study has shown the link between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). “This work demonstrates that T-cells specific for [EBV-infected cells] are present in the cerebrospinal fluid at the earliest stages of disease,” said one of its authors, J. William Lindsey. The study was published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The onset of MS symptoms often takes about ten years following EBV infection — an important reminder that even though viral infections may be “mild” or asymptomatic, they can lead to serious disease years long after acute infection. Read more in Multiple Sclerosis News Today.
- A therapy typically used for chest pain called enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) may help some people with Long Covid who experience cognitive issues, according to a new study in The American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. EECP is an FDA-approved therapy that helps improve blood flow to the heart. The recent study was not a clinical trial; rather, researchers used medical records to compare patients’ cognitive symptoms before and after they received the treatment. Additional research will be needed to examine EECP’s potential for treating Long Covid. Learn more about the study and EECP in this thread by study co-author Monica Verduzco-Guitierez.
- People with Long Covid and physicians: help contribute to Long Covid treatment by filling out this important survey, “TLC: Treatments for Long Covid Survey,” by the FDA and Cure-ID. Data from this survey will help inform future clinical trials for the disease. There are two surveys: find the patient survey here and the provider survey here.
Leave a Reply