Does Long Covid alter the immune system?
New evidence suggests this may indeed be the case.
Study summary in collaboration with @LizMarnik
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This is the study we attempt to summarize:
2/7 nature.com/articles/s4159…
Samples were collected via a prospective observational study that enrolled individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection with and without long COVID symptoms
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Those with Long COVID exhibited systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation
There was improper crosstalk between the cellular and humoral adaptive immunity in those with long COVID
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These findings provide further evidence that there are immune system differences in long COVID that is likely contributing to their symptoms.
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Limitations:
- Small small size
- long COVID is an umbrella term so may not apply to every long COVID patient
- data was only from 8 months after infection, need longer duration studies
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Final thoughts:
- This data seems consistent with the theory of persistent viral reservoirs in long COVID
- The misalignment b/w cellular & humoral adaptive immunity may explain inflammation & debilitating clinical symptoms in those with long COVID
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