Scientists from the University of Colorado linked COVID-19 specific T cells to lung function and those who suffer from long-term COVID symptoms (PASC).
They found that patients suffering from long COVID had virus-specific T cell levels more than 100 times higher than those who recovered from the disease.
The persistence of high numbers of virus-specific T cells in people with long COVID suggests that there may be hidden viral reservoirs that are maintaining and leading to long-term symptoms.
The research is published in PLoS Pathogens and was conducted by Brent Palmer et al.
Long-COVID currently affects hundreds of millions of Americans.
Current treatments for long COVID, out of necessity, are focused on addressing specific symptoms and not the root cause of the illness.
This evidence points toward the reservoirs as a significant factor causing long COVID, which can guide future treatments.
The findings could shift treatment recommendations to focus on vaccines and antiviral medications that could reduce long COVID symptoms and help clear the virus from people’s systems.
In the study, the team addressed the cause of long COVID by better understanding the adaptive immune response to the SARS-CoV-2.
The findings linked systemic inflammation, persistent pulmonary symptoms and reduced lung function to the presence of high numbers of SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells.
During the primary infection, these virus-specific T cells are important for controlling infection but in the context of long COVID, they are linked to ongoing symptoms, shortness of breath and lung damage.
The team estimates more than one million Americans are out of work due to long COVID.
In addition, with over 500 million people infected during the pandemic so far, and 20–30 percent of them developing long COVID, that leaves upwards of 15 million people suffering from long COVID worldwide.
This represents a serious burden to the population and healthcare system.
The researchers hope to help change treatment focus to therapies that improve viral clearance.
Antiviral medications like Paxlovid could help reduce symptoms in those burdened by long COVID, helping to clear the virus out of their system and get them back to a more normal life.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about health problem that may last up to 5 months after COVID-19, and vitamin B may help fight COVID-19, reduce inflammation.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies about sunlight linked to lower COVID-19 deaths, and results showing this common habit linked to severe COVID-19 and death.
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