Thread by @PutrinoLab

I know #LongCovid twitter has been buzzing today bc @NIHDirector has unambiguously named viral persistence as a driver of LC pathobiology. I’m thrilled to see this too and I view it as an historic moment. However, today I’d like to do a little @microbeminded2 appreciation post 1/

https://twitter.com/californiacodes/status/1780099073468764415

In 2020, before the federal gvt had even acknowledged LC, and my team was burning out trying to manage 1000s of acute COVID patients and 100s of LC patients (then named “post-acute COVID Syndrome”/PACS), Dr Proal reached out to my team and told us about viral persistence and 2/

the role of persistent pathogens in other post-acute infection syndromes. I’ll freely admit I didn’t know what to do with the information she was sharing: I felt like we had a good hand on #LongCOVID just by treating dysautonomia and POTS but already in the back of my mind I 3/

knew there were patients who weren’t responding to our care and I was running out of ideas. So I read the work that @microbeminded2 shared and I asked really, REALLY uninformed questions and she somehow kept a straight face and patiently answered. Then we started to 4/

collaborate and it was clear to me that in addition to working with me, she was also tirelessly working with so many others to make sure that research models were being developed that might identify viral persistence. This incredible effort on Dr Proal’s part led to amazing 5/

original research and review publications in the world’s most prestigious journals, all highlighting a FACT that has been ignored and denied in the world of PAIS for decades: pathogens persist, and in many cases, this persistence is the main driver of a chronic disease state. 6/

We recently had a phenomenal write up by @jcouzin in @ScienceMagazine sharing the importance of acknowledging viral persistence in #LongCOVID. An important piece to be sure, but one that didn’t highlight that most of the investigators named in it were 7/science.org/content/articl…

brought into the viral persistence research space by the one and only @microbeminded2 and the @polybioRF. So let’s all celebrate the wins today: @ScienceMagazine and @NIHDirector finally discussing viral persistence as scientific FACT, not some unsubstantiated theory. But 8/

while we’re taking the W, let’s not forget that a common thread in this journey has been one woman’s incredible resolve and focus to get the role of persistent pathogens recognized in all PAIS, including #LongCOVID, #MECFS, chronic #Lyme and more. Remember this is just the 9/

beginning of the fight and we have so much more science to uncover and clinical trials to complete and they need to be done *YESTERDAY*. So that’s my @microbeminded2 appreciation post and happy national work in your pajamas day to all who celebrate ✌🏼🫶🏼 /end