- A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that the risk of Long Covid has declined since the beginning of the pandemic, but still remains substantial. The researchers assessed the health records of over 440,000 veterans and found that vaccination reduced the risk of the disease to 3.5%, meaning 3-4 people out of 100 who got Covid-19 developed Long Covid. If unvaccinated, the risk was 7.7%. Still, the study did not account for reinfections, which increases the risk of Long Covid significantly. “A 3.5% risk is not small,” co-author Ziyad Al-Aly told The Sick Times.“Multiplied by millions of people who continue to get infected and reinfected — it’s still a huge problem.”
- Microclots and hyperactivate platelets have been found in children with Long Covid, according to two recent studies. The studies build on a growing body of research of microclots in adults with Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). Both studies, one in Pediatric Infections and one in The Pediatric Disease Infectious Disease Journal used advanced microscopic technology to identify the clots and platelets, which were not found in healthy controls. Authors in each study noted the possible overlap of the microclots with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which some children develop after Covid-19 infection.
- A new clinical trial will assess the potential of two repurposed HIV antivirals, Maraviroc and Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine), to treat Long Covid. Researchers will test both drugs — and a placebo — for 90 days each to see if either helps reduce symptoms, since viral persistence has been found in people with Long Covid. The study will take place in New York City and is estimated to be completed in January 2026. Read more about the study in our prior reporting from this winter.
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