Researchers May Finally Find Out Why Some People Suffer From COVID Long – BGR

• A growing number of COVID-19 survivors are showing symptoms of coronavirus weeks or months after the infection has cleared up in what is informally known as “long COVID.”
• Several studies have shown the wide variety of symptoms long haul can experience, with doctors highlighting the severity of this complication of COVID-19.
• A new set of studies could finally explain why some people suffer from COVID Long. The disease can trigger autoantibodies that harm the body rather than attacking the virus.

The vast majority of COVID-19 patients who have overcome the virus have not finished fighting its symptoms. The disease did not go away after 14 days of fighting the active infection. Many survivors will continue to experience symptoms of COVID-19 for weeks or even months. Some of these symptoms mimic the initial illness

The virus may be gone in their system, but they still have difficulty breathing and experience fatigue, pain, and other symptoms. It’s called the “long COVID,” a confusing chronic coronavirus disease. Doctors have been studying these “long-haul routes” for months, seeking to explain the disease and to treat it.

Now, a new series of studies may offer an explanation for the symptoms of COVID Long, as some researchers believe they have finally understood why some people end up in pain long after the infection has passed.

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When the body defends itself against a foreign element like the new coronavirus, it mounts an immune response to rid itself of the pathogen. This includes the creation of specific antibodies that can neutralize the virus, as white blood cells adapt to recognize the pathogen and fight it again upon reinfection. But The New York Times points out that a large number of studies focus on one type of antibody that will do nothing to block the virus. They are called autoantibodies and are part of the immune response to COVID-19, and they will attack your own body.

These autoantibodies can persist for several months after infection, which could explain why symptoms of COVID-19 can last for so long. The conclusion comes from a limited study that requires further validation. Doctors at Boston Medical Center observed nine patients with COVID-19, five of whom had autoantibodies for at least seven months after infection. “It’s a signal; it is not final, ”warned Dr. Nahid Bhadelia in a comment. “We don’t know how widespread it is and whether or not it may or may not be linked to a long Covid.”

But the Times report points out that Bhadelia’s work on COVID-19 autoantibodies is not unique:

• a study in October showed that out of 52 patients with severe COVID-19, 70% developed autoantibodies against their DNA and proteins that help blood clot;
• a study in October proved that autoantibodies form against carbohydrates in COVID-19 patients, which could lead to neurological signs;
• a study in October also showed that some patients already had existing autoantibodies before infection and then attacked the immune response to COVID-19;
• a study in November showed that half of the subjects had autoantibodies that could cause clots and blockages in the blood vessels;
• a study in December showed COVID-19 autoantibodies targeting the immune system, brain cells, connective tissue, and coagulation factors;
• study found that people with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (lupus and scleroderma) are at increased risk of death from COVID-19;
• one study said that autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis lead to an increase in respiratory complications from the coronavirus.

Some of these antibodies might go away over time, Harvard University immunologist Dr Shiv Pilai told the newspaper. If so, the symptoms may go away. “That being said, yes, it would be interesting if the long Covid could be explained by specific autoantibodies,” he added.

Separately, another immunologist commenting on one of the studies identified a silver lining. “We’re going to learn some fundamentals about acute viral infections in people who haven’t been easy to study this way before,” Dr. Marion Pepper, of the University of Washington in Seattle, told the journal.

Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he even knew it he was sharing his take on tech with readers around the world. Whenever he doesn’t write about gadgets, he miserably fails to walk away from them, although he desperately tries. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.