Long Covid Molecular

The virus binds to humans in a similar way to the virus that causes COVID-19.

In a small study, patients with the syndrome were more likely to experience reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus and high levels of a coronavirus protein.

A small number of people report chronic symptoms after receiving COVID-19 shots. A new study provides clues for further research.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to long-term health problems affecting multiple body systems termed long COVID. Currently, limited information exists about long-term oral health manifestations in COVID-19 patients with limited healthcare access. Methods: We conducted a sequential, cross-sectional study (December 2020-March 2024) to assess how racial/ethnic differences (Black/Hispanic vs White/Asian) and health disparities affect oral and non-oral long COVID symptoms and their relationship with COVID-19 vaccination. We retrospectively reviewed patients oral health record from University of Illinois Chicago dental clinics before vaccination (December 2020; N=1150; Covid+/- N=575/group) and after vaccination (December 2021; N=592; Covid+/- N=292/group). Participants were recruited in two separate prospective groups of COVID-19 positive subjects (February-April 2021; pre-vaccination: N=158; January-March 2024; post-vaccination: N=171), we examined clinical indicators of oral (periodontal and salivary glands) and non-oral (neurologic) sequalae 3-6 months after initial exposure. We measured viral S protein by flow cytometry and quantified inflammatory markers, viral entry receptors, and oral viral load to correlate molecular, and cellular changes in COVID-19 positive subjects before and after vaccination. Results: Our results identified racial disparity indicating oral associated post-acute sequelae (PASC) primarily manifested as periodontal (gum) disease (COVID-19 positive: ~73% vs COVID-19 negative: ~33%) and correlated with higher rates of dry mouth (57.5%), taste disturbance (47%), and smell loss (20%). Vaccination reduced oral PASC in COVID-19 positive subjects; however, periodontal disease indicators persisted compared to the COVID-19 negative group. Notably, 3-6 months post-infection, while SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) transcript was rarely detected in saliva (~6%), its protein was commonly detected (~70%) in the COVID-19 positive subjects indicating incomplete viral clearance. This correlates with significantly higher salivary expression of viral entry receptors (ACE2, and TRMPSS2), and inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IL-8 and MMP-8), in COVID-19 positive subjects. This finding was further supported by higher prevalence of other oral viruses including Epstein-Barr Virus (70.5%), Herpes Simplex Virus (8.1%), and Human Papillomavirus (17.5%) in COVID-19 positive subjects. Interpretation: COVID-19 history significantly correlates with severe oral health complications in predominantly Black communities, while vaccination reduced but did not eliminate these issues. The oral cavity serves as a long-term viral reservoir, and periodontal inflammation with increased oral viral presence in COVID-positive patients may increase susceptibility to oral and non-oral viral diseases and identify risk for long COVID. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Researchers at Yale University in a small, yet to be published study found that Covid vaccines were linked to a rare 'post-vaccination syndrome' causing 'distinct biological changes' to the body.

NIH has poured $1.6 billion into Long COVID research, but little or nothing to study vaccine harms, causing patient advocates to hide vaccine injury.

Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) presents a multifaceted interplay of demographic, clinical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Quan...

Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections have been hypothesized to play a key role in the emergence of variants of concern. However, the factors determining which individuals are at risk and their viral molecular signatures during infection remain poorly understood. Using the extensive COVID-19 surveillance database in Denmark, comprising over 700,000 genomes, we identified 303 persistent infections and, critically, linked them to health and sociodemographic data. Our analysis confirms the hypothesis that immunocompromised individuals are at the highest risk of experiencing persistent infections. Other disease groups associated with mortality, such as diabetes, showed no such associations. Among these persistent infections, the viral sequences exhibited signs of diversifying selection, with recurrent mutations linked to treatment resistance. Our findings suggest that immunosuppression plays a key role in the emergence of novelty in persistent infections. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement SB, CM, CW and NMF acknowledge funding from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (reference MR/X020258/1), funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). This UK-funded award is carried out in the frame of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking. SB, CM, and NFM are funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Modelling and Health Economics, a partnership between the UK Health Security Agency, Imperial College London and LSHTM (grant code NIHR200908). Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, UK Health Security Agency or the Department of Health and Social Care. SB acknowledges support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation via The Novo Nordisk Young Investigator Award (NNF20OC0059309) which also supports FPL. SB acknowledges the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF160) through the chair grant which also supports MPK, JCS, and NS. SB acknowledges support from The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund For Strategic Innovation via the Schmidt Polymath Award (G-22-63345), who also support CM. DAD acknowledges funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Emerging Data Science Investigator Award (NNF23OC0084647). PJ and TGV acknowledge funding from EU under Grant Agreements 101094685 LEAPS and 101102733 DURABLE; views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the granting authorities, neither the EU nor the granting authorities can be held responsible for them. M.U.G.K. acknowledges funding from The Rockefeller Foundation, Google.org, the Oxford Martin School Pandemic Genomics programme, European Unions Horizon Europe programme projects MOOD (grant code 874850) and E4Warning (grant code 101086640), the John Fell Fund, a Branco Weiss Fellowship and Wellcome Trust grants 225288/Z/22/Z, 226052/Z/22/Z and 228186/Z/23/Z, United Kingdom Research and Innovation (grant code APP8583) and the Medical Research Foundation (MRF-RG-ICCH-2022-100069). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was conducted using data from national registers only. According to Danish law, ethics approval is not needed for this type of research. All data management and analyses were carried out on the secure research servers of Statistics Denmark. The study only contains aggregated results and no personal data. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The data utilized in this study is accessible under restricted conditions under Danish data protection laws, since the information pertains to sensitive individual-level data. Researchers can request access to the data, including SARS-CoV-2 consensus genomes, from The Danish Health Data Authority and Statens Serum Institut, complying with Danish data protection regulations and any necessary permissions. No data collection or sequencing was conducted specifically for this study. https://github.com/MLGlobalHealth/sars-cov2-persistent

If you've had COVID-19 within the past three years, you may have heard of the term long COVID.

Antidepressants, such as Prozac, are routinely used to treat mental health issues, but recent research reveals they may also protect against major infections and life-threatening sepsis. Scientists at the Salk Institute have now discovered how medications regulate the immune system and protect against infectious disease, providing insights that could lead to a new generation of life-saving treatments and improve global readiness for future pandemics.

Long COVID risk among pediatric patients was higher in those with a history of pneumonia as well as those with anosmia during their initial COVID-19 illness.

LA JOLLA—Antidepressants like Prozac are commonly prescribed to treat mental health disorders, but new research suggests they could also protect against serious infections and life-threatening sepsis. Scientists at the Salk Institute have now uncovered how the drugs are able to regulate the immune system and defend against infectious disease—insights that could lead to a new generation of life-saving treatments and enhance global preparedness for future pandemics.

As the newest COVID-19 variant XEC started to spread in the autumn of 2024, health experts around the world braced themselves for another tough winter of COVID-19 hospitalizations. But despite data that shows the variant is spreading, the surge in hospitalizations did not occur as doctors feared. According to experts, this is just one in a number of indications that COVID-19 could be getting more mild as a disease. Could it be? Check out this gallery to learn more.

Nature - Two distinct patterns in the protective effect of natural infection against reinfection in the Omicron variant versus pre-Omicron eras show that SARS-CoV-2 immune protection is shaped by...

Leukocyte count an independent predictor of postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 infection in postmenopausal women.

The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been found to exhibit pathogenic characteristics and be a possible cause of post-acute sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines utilize a modified, stabilized prefusion spike ...

Higher levels of leukocytes -- a form of white blood cell -- are associated with more severe symptoms of long COVID among older women, researchers reported.

SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in previously vaccinated individuals are characterized by reduced activation of innate immune responses.

The coinfection of individual cells is a requirement for exchange between two or more virus genomes, which is a major mechanism driving virus evolution. Coinfection is restricted by a mechanism known as superinfection exclusion (SIE), which prohibits the infection of a previously infected cell by a related virus after a period of time. SIE regulates coinfection for many different viruses, but its relevance to the infection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was unknown. In this study, we investigated this using a pair of SARS-CoV-2 variant viruses encoding distinct fluorescent reporter proteins. We show for the first time that SARS-CoV-2 coinfection of individual cells is limited temporally by SIE. We defined the kinetics of the onset of SIE for SARS-CoV-2 in this system, showing that the potential for coinfection starts to diminish within the first hour of primary infection, and then falls exponentially as the time between the two infection events is increased. We then asked how these kinetics would affect the potential for coinfection with viruses during a spreading infection. We used plaque assays to model the localised spread of SARS-CoV-2 observed in infected tissue, and showed that the kinetics of SIE restrict coinfection, and therefore sites of possible genetic exchange, to a small interface of infected cells between spreading viral infections. This indicates that SIE, by reducing the likelihood of coinfection of cells, likely reduces the opportunities for genetic exchange between different strains of SARS-CoV-2 and therefore is an underappreciated factor in shaping SARS-CoV-2 evolution. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Leukocyte count is an independent predictor of future long COVID in postmenopausal women, according to study findings.

Links between the complement and coagulation systems could lead to Long Covid therapies

COVID-19 - Researchers have uncovered a link between COVID-19 and blood markers linked to faulty proteins in the brain.

A new study published on January 30, 2025, reveals significant insights on the link between white blood cell count and the severity of long COVID symptoms, particularly…

It may be possible to predict who is most likely to experience follow-up COVID disease based on their leukocyte (white blood cell) count.

Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is increasingly recognized as a condition affecting not only adults but also children and adolescents. While children often experience milder acute COVID-19 symptoms compared to adults, some develop persistent physical, ps …

Concurrent CDI intensifies systemic inflammation and adverse clinical trajectories in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Elevations in inflammatory markers and severity scores predict worse outcomes, especially in high-risk subgroups. Early recognition and targeted interventions, including infection co …

During 2023, 6.4% of U.S. adults were experiencing long COVID when they responded to a CDC survey, highlighting the large effect of the condition among ...