- A specific formula of probiotics was found to improve fatigue and other symptoms in people with Long COVID. Researchers shared the abstract, which has not been published yet, at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The clinical trial included 280 participants, who took the synbiotic formula, called SIM01, or a placebo for six months. Researchers found that the treatment “reshaped the gut microbiome” and reduced histamine in the gut, which correlated with improvement of fatigue, cognitive symptoms, and stomach issues. This study built on a prior trial that also found the formula helpful. Still, one author acknowledged in a press release that gut dysbiosis is a piece of the Long COVID puzzle and that the treatment is not a cure for all symptoms.
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- A new review on Long COVID concluded that addressing the heterogeneity of the disease is crucial for the future development of treatments. Researchers emphasized the importance of patient stratification, as well as further research into mechanisms of why and how Long COVID develops. Their extensive review found an “intricate interplay” between immune dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction, viral persistence, and clotting abnormalities. The authors stated that tackling the disease demands a “sustained commitment and investment from governments, policymakers, and research funding bodies.” Some people with Long COVID have criticized how the review suggested physical therapy to manage post-exertional malaise (PEM) without citing a source.
- Another review in Frontiers evaluated PEM. The authors found that PEM may arise from “a complex interplay among mitochondrial dysfunction, immune activation, and neuroinflammation.” The authors stated that together these may form a self-perpetuating loop of energy exhaustion, which could contribute to the chronic and multi-system nature of PEM. The authors describe PEM as a “metabolism-immune-neuro” process and that future treatments need to disrupt the pathological cycle.
