New information on the biology of Long Covid…
A blood test for long Covid is possible, a study suggests
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/long-covid-differences-blood-test-study-finds-rcna116871The activity of immune system cells called T cells and B cells — which help fight off germs — was "irregular" in long Covid patients, Putrino said. One of the strongest findings, he said, was that long Covid patients tended to have significantly lower levels of a hormone called cortisol.
A major function of the hormone is to make people feel alert and awake. Low cortisol could help explain why many people with long Covid experience profound fatigue, he said.
"It was one of the findings that most definitively separated the folks with long Covid from the people without long Covid," Putrino said.
The study also found that dormant viruses, such as the one that causes mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr, come alive again in long Covid patients. It's unclear, however, whether those old viruses are causing symptoms or flagging a problem within the immune system.
Long Covid affects 1 in 13 U.S. adults, or 7.5%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
