Scientists have detected irregularities in the blood of people suffering with long Covid. It could lead to the development of a test for the condition.
Currently no test exists that can diagnose long Covid. However, researchers at Imperial College London found a pattern of antibodies in the blood of a small number of people with the condition. They hope that within six to 18 months it will pave the way for a simple blood test.
Early findings are “exciting”, but long Covid is a “complex condition” that is not yet fully understood. It can cover a range of symptoms, including headaches, tiredness, breathlessness and muscle pain, that last long after infection. A number of different things could occur after a Covid-19 infection, and an autoimmune response is “one of the suspected mechanisms”. It is important that research continues on other factors. This is so all the varying types of post-Covid syndrome can be diagnosed and treated.
Leader of the research, Professor Danny Altmann, believes the work will lead to a test for use in doctors’ surgeries.
Although he is concerned about government plans to end all coronavirus restrictions in England on 19 July. Plans to just “live with” Covid could prompt another wave of the virus and cases of infection. At the moment, we don’t know if vaccinations protect people from long term symptoms of Covid.
The study
Researchers compared blood samples of dozens of people. They found autoantibodies that were not present in people who recovered quickly from the virus, or have not had it. Autoantibodies attack healthy cells, so could contribute to the cause of long Covid symptoms. It is an act of the body turning on itself rather than creating antibodies to fight disease, like the immune system usually does.
Other possibilities for long Covid include the virus “persisting” in some people’s bodies, or people having other issues with their immune systems.
The research is still in its early stages, meaning it is only a small sample size which can scale up later. It is too soon to call it a breakthrough, but it is “a very exciting advancement”.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in the four weeks up to 4 June, an estimated 962,000 people in the UK had long Covid. It is estimated around 385,000 people suffer with symptoms for over a year.
Long Covid affects people of all ages, even those who are fit and healthy, as well as people who initially experienced only mild symptoms.
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