Lung damage that escapes routine tests: a new pilot study, conducted on 36 patients, turns the spotlight on possible symptoms and effects of Long Covid. Wheezing is a symptom manifested by the majority of people with Long Covid. According to Professor Emily Fraser, co-author of the study, the research results could highlight direct involvement of the lungs. “It is the first study to highlight abnormalities in the lungs” of people with Long Covid who show “breathlessness”. In the absence of other elements identified, the study suggests that the virus causes some persistent abnormality in the microstructures of the lungs or in the vascular system of the lungs. ” As the Guardian newspaper points out, scientists stress the need to acquire more data after the first step.
Long Covid is a pathology to be deciphered. Recently, other elements have arrived thanks to a study by researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland. Research has found that low levels of some antibodies are more common in patients who have developed Long Covid syndrome than in those who have recovered more quickly and with fewer complications. The antibody levels – matched to patients’ age, symptom pattern, and concomitant asthma – allowed doctors to predict whether subjects would have a medium, high, or very high risk of developing Long Covid. “Overall, we believe our findings can help identify patients who are at high risk of developing Long Covid quickly. This will facilitate research, understanding and development of targeted treatments for Long Covid,” he said. said Onur Boyman, professor of immunology who led the research published in Nature Communication.
To enrich the picture, the elements collected in Great Britain by the Office for National Statistics: the vaccine could reduce the risk of Long covid. The data, from over 6,000 adults, points out that people vaccinated with 2 doses are 41% less likely to develop covid symptoms 12 weeks after the first positive swab. 9.5% of those who received the double dose, as part of the monitoring, developed Long Covid, showing symptoms that lasted for over 4 weeks.
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