Thread by @loscharlos

“I always have in back of my mind – how can these insights from #LongCovid help people with ME/CFS & other post-acute phases of infections.. I’m so excited about receiving this award because it shows long Covid & ME/CFS are diseases of global significance.”theguardian.com/society/2023/m…

“What similarities have been found in the biology of these two illnesses?”


@VirusesImmunity: One you’ve probably heard of is #microclots, which appear to be happening in a large fraction of people from #LongCovid and potentially #MECFS”

“These are tiny little clots in the blood that may be impairing oxygen exchange & other important functions of the circulation. The way blood oxygen is being utilised by tissues also appears to be impaired, which could be due to microclots as well as mitochondrial dysfunction.”

“It’s validation and acknowledgment for people who have been suffering for decades with #MECFS, a disease that has been mostly ignored and completely understudied given the amount of suffering it has caused.” #LongCovidKids

“Are we getting closer to understanding some of the causes of #LongCovid ?”

@VirusesImmunity: Long Covid is a blanket term that likely describes multiple diseases… There’s more evidence now showing either viral proteins or viral RNA in various tissues, months after infection.”

“The hypothesis that #LongCovid could be caused by the reactivation of latent viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus is also gaining momentum. The other idea is changes can occur due to inflammation from an acute Sars-CoV-2 infection, both at site of infection, and in distal organs”

“What new treatment avenues are being explored for long Covid?”

@VirusesImmunity: “We are starting a clinical trial where 50 patients will be treated with.. Paxlovid & 50 will be given a placebo. This is to probe whether persistent virus infection may be causing #LongCovid”

“Twitter has been an incredible platform. Within seconds, people can read about the latest scientific findings, and what they mean. I also often learn from people who are posting their symptoms and what has helped them.” #LongCovid

“But there are some days where I feel like I don’t even want to open it. The unfortunate side is that there are a lot of trolls and abusive comments, sometimes people with extreme viewpoints.”

😅

“Do you think there is a racism issue within the scientific community?”

@VirusesImmunity: “I think so. It’s very masked & veiled so it’s hard to pinpoint but I definitely feel like I’m spending more time thinking about how to respond to an email, because of my background..”

“..because I’m a woman, and because I’m a person of colour. There’s a lot of finessing of the words and making sure it’s assertive enough but doesn’t sound offensive. This struggle, and one that I’m sure others are going through, is double the work.”

“We are not done with Covid, not even close. The virus is here to stay with us.. I get that people want to move on from the pandemic, but the virus is still out there, people are getting infected, and there’s the possibility of developing #LongCovid.”

“One of the scientists leading the race to try to unravel the complexities of #LongCovid is Akiko Iwasaki, an immunology professor at @Yale. Iwasaki has been awarded the prestigious Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research.. in part due to her ongoing work on #LongCovid.”