While many have overcome Covid-19, some still suffer from symptoms associated with the virus, several months after contracting it. They represent between 10 and 20% of people affected by the disease, according to WHO figures. The results of a study published this Friday, January 19, by Swiss researchers in the journal Science could improve the diagnosis of this disease and the management of patients.
By analyzing the blood of 113 people with Covid-19, 40 of whom were affected by persistent symptoms, and 39 healthy people, the researchers discovered a modification of the proteins present in the blood of patients with long Covid due to to “increased complement activation.” . The latter is part of the immune system and helps fight infections.
“In patients with long Covid, the complement system does not return to the resting state as it should,” Onur Boyman, director of the immunology clinic at the University Hospital of Zurich and head of the study, explained to the Swiss press agency Keystone. ATS cited by Le Temps.
“A piece of the puzzle” discovered
As a result, these patients had numerous damage to blood tissues, impaired coagulation or even damage to red blood cells and platelets. In fact, when the complement system remains activated, it “attacks healthy cells in different organs and damages or destroys them,” commented the researcher.
“With this discovery, we have found another piece of the long Covid puzzle, which also explains why this disease can cause such varied symptoms,” Onur Boyman added.
A basis for a better diagnosis?
For the researchers behind the study, these results could serve as a “foundation for new diagnostic solutions” for long Covid, which until now has been difficult to identify and “illuminate treatment directions.”
But the process used for these analyzes is complex and cannot be used in all hospitals, the immunologist clarified to the newspaper.
If Covid-19 symptoms persist, it is advisable to consult a doctor. If there is no treatment for long Covid, there are treatments for its symptoms, which may include respiratory rehabilitation or even progressive retraining for exercise, remember Health Insurance.
Source: BFM TV
