- Early results from a Long COVID clinical trial assessing the monoclonal antibody AER002 found no difference between those who got the drug and placebo. Researcher Michael Peluso revealed the results at the PolyBio Spring Symposium; he and his colleagues are still analyzing data and will publish a paper later. The study was small, with 36 participants, and had some limitations, including not testing participants for viral persistence. Going forward, Peluso wants to see biomarkers for viral persistence added to trials, modern monoclonals, and combinations of monoclonals with antivirals, he said. He stressed the importance of also pursuing other non-viral persistence theories in parallel. Read more about the study in the San Francisco Chronicle.
- A new prospective study in Pediatrics International found that, six months after SARS-C0V-2 infection, 23% of children had Long COVID symptoms. Researchers in Japan assessed 108 participants under 18 in the months after their infections. They also showed that those older than seven years old were more likely to have symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) than those younger. “This prospective study showed that children experience [Long COVID] more often than previously expected,” the authors concluded.
- A small Chinese study of five participants with Long COVID and myocarditis found severe damage in the mitochondria, often referred to as the “powerhouse of the cell”. Using high-tech microscopy, researchers found abnormal fluid-filled sacs in the mitochondria of participants while looking at samples of heart muscle tissue. The scientists also found similar damage in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that this cellular dysfunction may help explain some of the cardiac effects of Long COVID. Read the full study in The Journal of Advanced Research.
