HEALTH

Long Covid: a blood test can predict who might suffer from it

A simple blood test to predict who will suffer from Long Covid: now it seems possible thanks to a study by researchers at University College London, published in the scientific journal EBioMedicine in The Lancet. According to the scientists, even mild or asymptomatic Covid infection alters the protein profile of blood plasma. "If we can identify people who might develop Long Covid," comments senior author Wendy Heywood, "this will pave the way for testing treatments such as antivirals given in the early stages of infection to see if they can reduce the risk" of the syndrome. It became apparent through targeted mass spectrometry techniques that Covid-19 affected plasma protein levels over the 6-week period. In fact, very high concentrations were detected, for 12 out of 91 proteins, and protein concentrations were associated with symptom severity. In addition, the research team showed that abnormal levels of 20 proteins, were the predictive sign of permanent disorders even one year after infection: the so-called Long Covid.

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A simple blood test can reveal whether a person is at risk of developing Long Covid symptoms
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This was revealed by a study conducted by a team of scientists who analyzed blood samples from 54 health care workers infected with Covid
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Long Covid, or the persistence of very diverse symptomatology after recovery, is one of the most mysterious features of Coronavirus
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It was found through targeted mass spectrometry techniques that Covid-19 affected plasma protein levels over the 6-week period
Getty Images
In fact, very high concentrations were detected, for 12 out of 91 proteins, and protein concentrations were associated with symptom severity
Getty Images
In addition, the research team found that abnormal levels of 20 proteins, were a predictive sign of permanent disorders even a year after infection: the so-called Long Covid
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