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People suffering from long COVID symptoms show different immune and hormonal responses to the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study led by researchers at Yale School of Medicine.
An estimated 7.5% of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus will later experience months or more of symptoms including brain fog, confusion, pain, and extreme fatigue.
Researchers including co-senior author Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, founder of the Yale Center for Infection and Immunity, analyzed blood samples from 268 individuals with long COVID, full recovery from COVID, or no reported COVID infection. Among those who had experienced long COVID, the team found higher levels of antibodies that help fight non-COVID viruses, including Epstein-Barr Virus. In addition, these patients had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
The team says their work offers important clues that could help develop new tests and therapies. “Once we have more information on these signals, we can start to think about designing the right trials to treat this condition,” Professor Iwasaki says.
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