In a new study from Trinity College Dublin, researchers found that the COVID-19 virus has a unique infectious profile, which explains why it can be so hard to treat and why some people experience so-called “long COVID”.
There is growing evidence that the virus infects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts—unlike “low pathogenic” human coronavirus sub-species, which typically settle in the upper respiratory tract and cause cold-like symptoms, or “high pathogenic” viruses such as those that cause SARS and ARDS, which typically settle in the lower respiratory tract.
Additionally, more frequent multi-organ impacts, blood clots, and an unusual immune-inflammatory response not commonly linked to other similar viruses mean that COVID-19 has evolved a uniquely challenging set of characteristics.
Previous studies suggested that an overly aggressive immune-inflammation response is a key driver.
In the study, the team found it seems things work differently in humans: Although inflammation is a factor, it is a unique disregulation of the immune response that causes our bodies to mismanage the way they fight the virus.
This may explain why some people experience “long COVID” and suffer severe lung damage after infection.
The team says that COVID-19 should be perceived as a new entity with a previously unknown infectious profile. It has its own characteristics and distinct pathophysiology and researchers need to be aware of this when treating people.
That doesn’t mean scientists should abandon existing best-practice treatments that are based on our knowledge of other human coronaviruses.
But an unbiased, gradual assembly of the key COVID-19 puzzle pieces for different patient cohorts—based on sex, age, ethnicity, pre-existing comorbidities—is what is needed to modify the existing treatment guidelines, subsequently providing the most adequate care to COVID-19 patients.
If you care about COVID-19, please read studies about two new anti-inflammatory drugs may boost recovery from COVID-19 and findings of many people recovered from COVID-19 still carry virus.
For more information about COVID-19 prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about these people may have high risk of symptomless COVID-19 infection and results showing that why some people with COVID-19 have no symptoms.
The study is published in The Lancet. One author of the study is Ignacio Martin-Loeches.
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