A recent study, published in medRxiv though not yet peer-reviewed, suggests that prior infection with a virus that causes the common cold could play a role in the development of Long COVID. The researchers, a group of scientists from Harvard University, say that this finding could help identify and potentially treat Long COVID in certain patient populations.*

http://www.yahoo.com/video/long-covid-could-linked-totally-203122425.html

The burden of Long COVID

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Long COVID affects nearly 20% of adults that get infected with COVID-19. It’s estimated that over 16 million Americans currently suffer from brain fog, exhaustion, and other long-term symptoms.

The Brookings Institution, a research group based out of Washington D.C., found that Long COVID is significantly affecting the labor force, with an estimated four million people out of work because of Long COVID symptoms. 

“We know that for a very long time Long COVID has been something that not many people have paid attention to,” says Yahoo Finance’s Anjalee Khemlani, “but it seems to now have an impact and potentially be a mass disability situation.”

Who is a risk?

There is no clear definition for Long COVID, but it shares several key symptoms—such as severe fatigue and brain fog—with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). As with ME/CFS, studies show that women are more likely to develop Long COVID and suffer more severe symptoms. People with asthma, autoimmune conditions, and/or type-2 diabetes are also at greater risk for developing Long COVID. 

According to a recent Harvard study, having a cold before contracting COVID-19 may also be relevant. 

A possible new link

The study included 43 arthritis patients. Researchers found that those who went on to develop Long COVID had a weak immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus), as well as an aggressive response to a different kind of coronavirus called OC43, which causes the common cold. The authors of the study say this means that patients likely had a cold at some point before getting COVID-19. 

The researchers postulated that when people with colds were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, their immune systems launched an attack using the similar, although less effective, antibodies they gained from having a cold. This led to chronic inflammation, an underlying factor of many symptoms associated with Long COVID.

Other studies have investigated possible links between various viruses and Long COVID. It’s thought that there may be multiple types of Long COVID, each with different pathways and triggers.

This study’s results, write the authors, “implicate previous common coronavirus imprinting as a marker” for developing Long COVID. While the findings may not translate to non-arthritis patient groups, the authors suggest that they could help identify and potentially treat Long COVID in certain populations.

*Prater, E. (2022, October 4). Long COVID Could be Linked to a Totally Different (and Common) Virus, New Study Finds. Yahoo. https://www.yahoo.com/video/long-covid-could-linked-totally-203122425.html