Jan 06, 2022 19:00:00

Blood-focused treatment may be effective for 'Long COVID,' which continues to suffer from fatigue and cognitive decline even after the recovery of the new corona.

Many patients who develop the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) suffer from the aftereffect of

'long COVID ', in which symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive decline continue for more than several months after infection. increase. A new South African and British research team said, 'Long COVID may involve tiny blood clots and platelet abnormalities in the body, and blood-focused treatment may be effective.' The paper has been published.

Combined triple treatment of fibrin amyloid microclots and platelet pathology in individuals with Long COVID / Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) can resolve their persistent symptoms
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357428572_Combined_triple_treatment_of_fibrin_amyloid_microclots_and_platelet_pathology_in_individuals_with_Long_COVID_Post-Acute_Sequelae_of_COVID-19_PASC_can_resolve_their_persent_

Could microclots help explain the mystery of long Covid? | Resia Pretorius | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/05/long-covid-research-microclots

Long COVID, which is considered to be a sequela of COVID-19, has physical symptoms such as chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, and headache, as well as a feeling of fog on the head, which reduces cognitive ability and concentration. It has also been reported that there is also a symptom of ' brain fog'. In a 2020 study of a total of 3762 long COVID patients living in 56 countries, nearly half of long COVID patients were full-time due to fatigue, fatigue, and cognitive decline 6 months after infection. I also found that I couldn't get back to work.

Cause a is COVID-19 itself is also in patients having undergone in the mild, with 10 percent suffer from 'sequelae interfere with the work and life' research results have also been reported, 'millions of The future may come when people have long COVIDs. ' On the other hand, the definition of long COVID is still unclear, and the patho-ecological mechanism has not been completely elucidated.

The new Corona could bring the future of millions of survivors with sequelae-GIGAZINE

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are coughing and dyspnea, but it has been pointed out that COVID-19 affects not only the respiratory system but also the blood. Previous studies have found microscopic blood clots in blood samples taken from COVID-19 patients that are resistant to the process of fibrin lysis (fibrin lysis / fiber lysis), which breaks down blood clots in the body.

Therefore, research teams at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom conducted research on the relationship between long COVID and microthrombosis and blood, and promising treatments. The research team first investigated gender, age, comorbidities, and symptoms of long COVID in 845 patients with long COVID living in South Africa. As a result, the majority of participants have a history of blood-affecting diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, and thrombosis.

Separately, analysis of blood samples from 70 long COVID patients found microthrombi, which were all resistant to significant amounts of fibrin lysis, and abnormal platelet hyperactivity. Generally, blood clots are broken down by fibrin dissolution when they are used up, but blood clots that are resistant to fibrin dissolution circulate in the body and cause various problems. According to the research team, microthrombi that do not break down normally clog capillaries and block the supply of oxygen to each tissue in the body, which can be explained as the cause of various symptoms in long COVID. Abnormal platelet hyperactivity found in the same group of patients also affects the formation of blood clots.

Based on these results, the research team tried treatments focused on microthrombus and platelet hyperactivity in 24 of 70 patients with long COVID who took blood samples. After one month of continuous administration of clopidogrel and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) , which have antiplatelet effects, apixaban used to treat thromboembolism, and pantoprazole , which protects the stomach, all 24 people had 'main symptoms and feelings of fatigue.' In addition to reporting that it has eased, the scores for microthrombi and platelets have actually returned to normal levels.

It should be noted that this paper is still in a pre-peer-reviewed state, and doctors are strict in order to avoid risks such as bleeding when administering antiplatelet / anticoagulant drugs. And it is necessary to follow accurate instructions.