Two studies reveal key insights into long COVID

Healthcare providers are learning critical new information to help improve care for patients with long COVID, thanks to two recent studies from the Post-COVID-19 Program at UT Health Austin, Dell Medical’s clinical practice School at the University of Texas at Austin. In recent months, UT researchers have moved closer to defining the pattern of symptoms it generates and how it affects patients, as well as developing methods to differentiate patients suffering from long COVID compared to other conditions.

As consensus around the clinical definition evolves, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines long COVID as symptoms and conditions of COVID-19 that persist for weeks, months, or even years after the initial infection of somebody. Even people who had no symptoms at the time of infection may develop symptoms later.

“These research efforts are essential for both clinicians and health systems to understand the complexities of long COVID and to provide the best possible patient care,” said W. Michael Brode, MD, medical director of the Post- COVID-19. Program.

Brode emphasized that long COVID, which occurs in about 10% of COVID-19 cases, remains a challenge.

“Our research not only refines the definition and treatment needs of long COVID, but also demonstrates the effectiveness of innovative testing methods,” said Brode, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Med. “These methods are able to identify and diagnose common problems related to long COVID, even when traditional tests fail.”

Clinical characteristics of long COVID patients

Research published in Scientific reports aims to understand the experiences of patients with long COVID to improve services in post-COVID specialist clinics. The study of 252 patients found that they experienced complex and disabling symptoms, regardless of the severity of their initial infection, their age, gender or whether they had pre-existing health conditions.

Patients reported an average of 18 new symptoms after recovering from COVID-19 illness. The most common were fatigue (89%), “brain fog” (89%) and difficulty concentrating (77%).

Nearly half experienced mild cognitive dysfunction during testing, and 65% of patients rated their mental health and 73% their physical health as “fair” or “poor.” The disease has significantly affected patients’ ability to work, with a decrease in full-time employment and an increase in unemployment rates.

Metabolic fingerprints to distinguish long COVID from fibromyalgia

Another study, carried out in collaboration with researchers at Ohio State University, introduces a blood test that can differentiate fibromyalgia patients from long COVID patients with 100% accuracy.

Published in Biomedicines, study presents a promising approach to differentiating long COVID from fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping – symptoms that tend to overlap with long COVID. Neither condition currently has a diagnostic test.

The study included 100 adult patients, half diagnosed with long COVID and the other half with fibromyalgia. Researchers discovered a distinct chemical marker in the blood of fibromyalgia patients that was absent in those with long COVID. The blood test is quick and could easily be done in clinics, which could lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses, according to Brode.

“We hope that the results can not only improve our understanding of long COVID, but also pave the way for targeted diagnostics and interventions,” Brode said. “Millions of Americans still live with the scars of the pandemic, and we hope to translate this knowledge into tangible health care solutions.” »