Long COVID: Test may be available within six months
pharmafile | July 12, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing |Â Â Â
Researchers from Imperial College London have detected rogue antibodies in the blood of long COVID sufferers, which could lead to a test for the condition within six to 18 months.
Dr Elaine Maxwell, from the National Institute of Health Research, said the early findings were “exciting”, saying there could be “a number of different things happening after a COVID-19 infection” and an autoimmune response “has been one of the suspected mechanisms”.
But she warned that long COVID was a “complex condition”, saying it was important to continue to research the other causal factors so all different types of post-COVID syndrome could be diagnosed and treated.
In the pilot study, researchers compared the blood of dozens of people and found autoantibodies that were not present in people who recovered quickly, or those who have not had COVID-19.
It is believed that these autoantibodies, that attack healthy cells, are one of the causes of long COVID. Other causes being investigated are the virus persisting in the body and issues with the immune system.
An estimated 962,000 people in the UK had long COVID in the four weeks up to June 4, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. It is also estimated that around 385,000 people in the UK have been suffering with symptoms for more than a year.
There are currently no tests for long COVID, however, this latest breakthrough could lead to simple blood testing that can be carried out in doctor’s surgeries.
Long COVID is not yet fully understood, but it has impacted people of all ages, with symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness, headaches, and muscle pain.
Kat Jenkins
