Long Covid Could Be Caused By Virus Triggering Blood Clots, Scientists Say

Long Covid can be triggered by the virus’s abnormal blood clotting complication, researchers say.

Hundreds of thousands of patients survived the initial infection only to be overcome several months later by fatigue and headaches.

But academics tasked with determining the debilitating condition are still puzzled as to the exact cause.

Now, experts at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have moved closer to an answer – and say the body’s coagulation system “may be involved.”

Study co-author Professor James O’Donnell said: “Understanding the root cause of a disease is the first step towards developing an effective treatment.”

He added: “Millions of people are already struggling with the symptoms of Long Covid Syndrome.

“And more people will develop Covid for a long time as infections among the unvaccinated continue to occur.”

Up to one in three patients who become seriously ill with coronavirus develop dangerous blood clots, it has been estimated.

The unusual complication – which can affect the lungs and other crucial organs – was also found in small vessels.

Scientists don’t know why the virus causes clots, but they think it could be the result of an overreaction called a “cytokine storm”. Others say the clots can be a byproduct of how Covid invades the human body.

Hematologist Professor O’Donnell added: “It is imperative that we continue to study this disease and develop effective treatments.”

Most coronavirus patients recover from the illness within a fortnight after suffering the mild symptoms indicative of cough and fever.

But a fraction of the survivors end up becoming “long haul” and struggle with a range of complaints, ranging from muscle aches to headaches.

The new research, published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, offers hope for a cure for the disease.

Doctors examined 50 patients with long symptoms of Covid – and compared them to 17 healthy volunteers.

Affected patients were on average 50 years old and were analyzed approximately 10 weeks after being infected for the first time.

Blood samples were taken from all participants, allowing researchers to spot the main differences between the groups.

Inflammation levels in longtime Covid patients had ‘normalized’, suggesting the body’s natural response to fighting the virus was not to blame.

But clotting markers – certain substances known to play a role in clotting – were still high among the affected group.

Researchers said levels were especially high in hospital patients when they first caught Covid.

Senior researcher Dr Helen Fogarty said the results suggest “the coagulation system may be involved in the root cause of long Covid.”

The academics also admitted that there may be flaws in their “small” study and called for larger trials to solidify the link.

Last month, researchers also claimed that changes in blood cells caused by the coronavirus could explain why so many patients suffer from long Covid.

German experts have found that the virus changes the size and stiffness of red and white blood cells, making it more difficult for the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients.

Their small study of 55 people found that these changes can last for several months, which may explain why many Covid patients become ‘long-haul’.

Data from last week suggested that nearly 400,000 Britons have fought Covid for more than a year for a long time.

Almost 1.46% of those surveyed by the Office for National Statistics complained of having to deal with persistent symptoms.