what we know and don’t know, according to experts

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what we know and don't know, according to experts

We have entered the third year of the pandemic and experts still know very little about Long Covid, including how to cure its symptoms.

On July 20th and 21st, the Global Virus Network hosted the first-ever conference dedicated solely to the science of Long Covid. There, scientists spoke openly about what is known about the mysterious condition and what questions remain unanswered.

For example, researchers are still looking for answers to two key questions:

  • How do we define Long Covid?
  • Will Covid-19 drugs like Paxlovid also treat long-term Covid symptoms?

At this stage, it’s even difficult to give an estimate of how long people have had Covid because symptoms vary, says Robert Gallo, co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, one of the panelists at the conference.

“That’s going to change tomorrow and next week, and it depends on whose criteria you’re using,” says Gallo. “We’re not even agreed on how to define it, so it’s difficult.”

What is Long Covid and how widespread are its effects?

Anecdotally, we know that many people experience Covid symptoms long after infection, and data analyzed by the CDC in June shows that 7.5% of US adults have markers of long Covid.

Currently, the agency defines Long Covid as a condition that has long-term effects as a result of initial Covid-19 infection. These symptoms usually appear long after a negative viral test and range from respiratory to neurological.

According to the CDC, people with post-Covid illness commonly report symptoms of:

  • Fatigue that interferes with daily activities
  • Fever
  • difficulty breathing
  • Cough
  • chest pain
  • brain fog
  • headache
  • depression or anxiety
  • Muscle aches
  • Menstrual cycle changes and more

The versatility of long Covid symptoms is likely due to how the Covid-19 virus affects the immune system, Gallo tells CNBC Make It. “They affect the immune system, and anything can happen,” he says. “But it also targets very different body cells.”

Last year, the Americans with Disabilities Act classified Long Covid as a disability because of its debilitating effects on some people.

Can Clinical Trials Help Lead Us To A Cure?

A big topic discussed at the lengthy Covid conference was the status of clinical trials. Due to the wide spectrum of symptoms and lack of clear definition, selecting participants for clinical trials was a struggle, says Eric Rubin, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and a panelist at the conference.

“Without a definition, it’s hard to know who to look to to figure out what’s going on,” says Rubin. Initiating a clinical trial with participants who have very different experiences could adversely affect the results of the trial. “Deciding what to use as a definition is sort of the starting point for everything else,” he adds.

But Gallo believes we should still try to do clinical trials with what we know now, particularly because of the neurological implications of the condition. And looking at patients could likely lead researchers to the answers they’re looking for.

Recent survey data analyzed by the CDC found that women and people aged 50 to 59 were more likely to have long-term illness with Covid than their peers. Self-reported cases helped scientists discover that long-lasting Covid symptoms appear to be relatively mild, but that they can be much more severe for some.

Still, there’s no indication of what, if anything, will provide immunity to the disease, Gallo adds. But he believes taking medicines like Paxlovid as soon as an infection is detected could be the best way to prevent long-lasting Covid symptoms. Much more research is needed to determine this and more information about Long Covid, but scientists are hopeful for the future.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that given the attention people are giving to the long Covid, we will get some answers and hopefully some interventions that will help people,” says Rubin.

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