New research hints at 4 factors that may increase the chances of Long COVID-19 – WXYZ

(WXYZ) There was no way to predict who would suffer from lingering symptoms after recovering from COVID-19. But new research has discovered four biological factors linked to Long COVID-19.

Long COVID-19 can be pretty debilitating. People can suffer from lasting symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, and shortness of breath. These symptoms can last weeks to months.

Why is it that only some people suffer from lingering symptoms while others dont? Hoping to answer that question is a group of 50 scientists led by the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. These researchers followed 309 patients after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. These patients were between the ages of 18 and 89. Some were hospitalized, and some were outpatients with mild disease.

Heres what the researchers did. They took blood samples and nasal swabs right after infection and then again two to three months later. They also analyzed the patient's symptoms. Thats how they found four critical biological factors that could raise a persons risk of Long COVID-19.

Here are the factors:

Of all these four factors, the most influential one is autoantibodies. They were linked to two-thirds of the cases during the study. Now, there is no cure for Long COVID-19, but the researchers suggest that people who develop high viral loads might benefit from antivirals right after getting diagnosed. The quicker the virus is eliminated, the less likely a person might develop Long COVID-19.

We're possibly a step closer to figuring out why Long COVID-19 happens in the first place - once that's understood, then treatment can follow.

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New research hints at 4 factors that may increase the chances of Long COVID-19 - WXYZ