@article {pmid38759575,
year = {2024},
author = {Torres, F and Shedd, C and Kaza, V and Bollineni, S and Banga, A and Mohanka, MR and Ladikos, N and Wijesinha, M and Mahan, LD and Lawrence, A and Joerns, J and Terada, L and Timofte, I},
title = {Outpatient management of Post-COVID syndrome - single center experience.},
journal = {Heart & lung : the journal of critical care},
volume = {67},
number = {},
pages = {137-143},
doi = {10.1016/j.hrtlng.2024.05.004},
pmid = {38759575},
issn = {1527-3288},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: COVID patients continue to experience unremitting symptoms that extend far beyond the initial illness. While there is rapid accumulation of data on acute COVID treatment in hospitalized patients, little is known regarding post-COVID management.

OBJECTIVES: To describe our center's experience treating post-COVID sub-syndromes encountered in Post-COVID Lung Clinic.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data on 98 post-COVID patients evaluated in our clinic between 07/01/2020-12/31/2022. We encountered three distinct post-COVID subtypes: 1) respiratory complaints associated with increased O2 requirements and abnormal CT findings (post-COVID interstitial lung disease [ILD]), 2) respiratory complaints associated with tachycardia (post-COVID dyspnea-tachycardia syndrome [DTS]). Post-COVID ILD patients (n = 28) received steroids in combination with cell cycle inhibitor (mycophenolate mofetil-MMF). Post-COVID DTS patients (n = 16) were treated with metoprolol. 3) A third, undifferentiated group presented with mild respiratory complaints and normal spirometry (n = 17) and was followed in clinic without initiation of a specific treatment.

RESULTS: In treated post-COVID ILD patients, mean oxygen requirements at rest (1.96 ± 1.79 L/NC) decreased to 0.89 ± 1.29 L/NC at 6 months follow-up, p = 0.005. In patients with post-COVID DTS, mean heart rate at rest decreased (98 ± 15 bpm to 79 ± 11 bpm) at 6 months follow-up, p = 0.023. 60 % of patients reported an improvement in exertional dyspnea.

CONCLUSIONS: Our descriptive study presents a single center outpatient COVID-19 clinic experience. We encountered 3 post-COVID sub-syndromes and describe their treatments: post-COVID interstitial lung disease [ILD] treated with a novel regimen of MMF and steroids, post COVID dyspnea-tachycardia syndrome [DTS] treated with metoprolol, and a third subgroup with mild undifferentiated symptoms without specific treatment.},
}

@article {pmid38757870,
year = {2024},
author = {Kyung, S and Son, Y and Kim, M and Kang, J and Smith, L and Lee, H and Yon, DK},
title = {Risks of alopecia areata in long COVID: Binational population-based cohort studies from South Korea and Japan.},
journal = {Journal of medical virology},
volume = {96},
number = {5},
pages = {e29668},
doi = {10.1002/jmv.29668},
pmid = {38757870},
issn = {1096-9071},
support = {RS-2023-00248157//National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Alopecia Areata/epidemiology ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/complications ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Female ; Japan/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Young Adult ; Incidence ; },
abstract = {Previous studies have proposed alopecia areata (AA) as a potential outcome of COVID-19 infection among autoimmune diseases, yet the findings might be inconclusive and difficult to generalize due to limited sample sizes and evidence levels. Thus, we aimed to investigate in detail the long-term risk of AA following SARS-CoV-2 infection based on large, binational, general population-based cohort studies. Our study investigated the long-term AA risk after SARS-CoV-2 infection by analyzing bi-national, claim-based cohorts in South Korea and Japan: a Korean nationwide cohort (K-COV-N cohort; discovery cohort; total n = 10 027 506) and a Japanese claims-based cohort (JMDC cohort; validation cohort; total n = 12 218 680). AA was identified based on the international classification of diseases 10th revision code (L63) requiring at least three claims within 1 year. After exposure-driven propensity score matching, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of incident AA (aHR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.38-1.99). This increased risk was observed and persisted for up to 6 months. A similar pattern was observed in the validation cohort. As modifiable factors, severe COVID-19 increased the risk of AA, whereas receiving two or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before infection decreased the risk of AA. Through a bi-national cohort study in South Korea and Japan, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an elevated risk for incident AA in the aspect of long COVID.},
}

Humans
*Alopecia Areata/epidemiology
*COVID-19/epidemiology/complications
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Male
Female
Japan/epidemiology
Middle Aged
Adult
Cohort Studies
Risk Factors
Aged
SARS-CoV-2
Young Adult
Incidence

@article {pmid38757616,
year = {2024},
author = {Gandhi, RS and Raman, B},
title = {The complexity of cardiovascular long COVID: where we are.},
journal = {Cardiovascular research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/cvr/cvae090},
pmid = {38757616},
issn = {1755-3245},
support = {302210/Z/23/Z//Wellcome Career Development Award/ ; },
}

@article {pmid38757260,
year = {2024},
author = {Lin, Y and Lin, C and Chang, JH and Chiang, DL and Lai, F and Lin, CJ},
title = {Psychomotor symptoms, cognitive impairments and suicidal thoughts after COVID-19 infection: a case report and the possible allostatic mechanism.},
journal = {Annals of geriatric medicine and research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.4235/agmr.24.0037},
pmid = {38757260},
issn = {2508-4909},
abstract = {Although neuropsychiatric manifestations are common in survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pathophysiology is not yet elucidated. Here we describe the case of a geriatric inpatient who developed postCOVID depression with psychomotor retardation, anxiety, hopelessness, executive function problems, and suicidal ideations. The language problems and cognitive impairments coemerged with the motor problems. We propose a mechanism associated with problems in energy prediction and regulation in which the coronavirus infection, which causes neuroinflammation and viral activity in the nervous system, interferes with the reward pathway and sensory prediction process. Sigma-1 receptor agonists such as sertraline may regulate energy expenditure and, thus, be beneficial to the process. The treatment improvements in our patient included those in the autonomic nervous system, activity, and circadian rhythm.},
}

@article {pmid38757107,
year = {2024},
author = {Emiroglu, C and Dicle, M and Ozagar, SD and Gorpelioglu, S and Aypak, C},
title = {Evaluation of post-acute-COVID-19, and long-COVID symptoms with a questionnaire: Within one year, a longitudinal study.},
journal = {Northern clinics of Istanbul},
volume = {11},
number = {2},
pages = {105-114},
pmid = {38757107},
issn = {2536-4553},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Long-term consequences of COVID-19 vary widely, representing a growing global health challenge. The aim of this report was to define the presence of symptoms in post-acute-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) patients and to assess the frequency, associated factors, and the spectrum of persistent symptoms.

METHODS: In this longitudinal study, 487 adults with a previously diagnosed "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2) who admitted to COVID-19 follow-up outpatient clinic between December 1, 2020 and November 31, 2021 were interviewed face-to-face three times. Data was collected on patient demographics, comorbidities, and symptoms. A questionnaire of 160 questions was asked and organized into the following: identification and consent, socio-demographic/epidemiological characteristics, previous medical history, diagnosis and clinical presentation of acute COVID-19, as well as systematic symptoms. Data were evaluated using univariate comparisons and multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS: The most prevalent symptoms among all PCS patients during their initial visit were dyspnea, weakness, forgetfulness, fatigue, and arthralgia respectively. The most common symptoms in patients with 6 months or more time from discharge to follow-up at the first and second visits, appear to be persistent. While incidence rates decreased by the third visit, the five most common symptoms remained the same. The possibility of weakness and arthralgia was found to be higher in non-hospitalized patients. Females were associated with the most common persistent symptoms and the strongest association was with arthralgia.

CONCLUSION: A large number of COVID-19 survivors had continuing symptoms at the first year of post-COVID-19-infection. Neither the presence of comorbidities of the patient nor smoking status were associated with the severity of PCS symptoms. A better understanding of the mechanisms, predisposing factors and evaluation require a multidisciplinary team approach.},
}

@article {pmid38756213,
year = {2024},
author = {Zheng, ZS and Simonian, N and Wang, J and Rosario, ER},
title = {Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improves Long COVID symptoms in a female cohort: a pilot study.},
journal = {Frontiers in neurology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1393371},
pmid = {38756213},
issn = {1664-2295},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Long COVID, also known as Post-COVID-19 syndrome, is characterized by multisystemic symptoms that persists for weeks to years beyond acute infection. It disproportionately affects women and those with pre-existing anxiety/depression, conditions more prevalent in females. The vagus nerve, with its extensive innervation and regulation of critical bodily functions, has become a focal point for therapeutic interventions. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive treatment for COVID-19 conditions.

METHODS: This pilot study assessed the efficacy of t-VNS in 24 female Long COVID patients (45.8 ± 11.7 years old; 20.2 ± 7.1 months since infection), who underwent a 10-day t-VNS intervention at home (30 min/session, twice a day). Cognition was considered the primary outcome, with anxiety, depression, sleep, fatigue, and smell as secondary outcomes. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up.

RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in various cognitive functions, anxiety, depression, and sleep at post-intervention, with benefits remaining or progressing at 1-month follow-up. Improvements in fatigue were delayed, reaching statistical significance at 1-month follow-up compared to baseline. No significant changes were noted in olfactory performance.

CONCLUSION: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the potential of t-VNS as a therapeutic intervention for female Long COVID patients. The encouraging results justify further rigorous investigation through larger, randomized controlled trials to confirm the efficacy of t-VNS, assess its generalizability to male cohorts, and explore biological markers to inform personalized treatment approaches. Our findings support the allocation of resources to conduct such trials and advance the understanding of t-VNS as a potential treatment for Long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38755688,
year = {2024},
author = {Knopman, DS and Laskowitz, DT and Koltai, DC and Charvet, LE and Becker, JH and Federman, AD and Wisnivesky, J and Mahncke, H and Van Vleet, TM and Bateman, L and Kim, DY and O'Steen, A and James, M and Silverstein, A and Lokhnygina, Y and Rich, J and Feger, BJ and Zimmerman, KO},
title = {RECOVER-NEURO: study protocol for a multi-center, multi-arm, phase 2, randomized, active comparator trial evaluating three interventions for cognitive dysfunction in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).},
journal = {Trials},
volume = {25},
number = {1},
pages = {326},
pmid = {38755688},
issn = {1745-6215},
support = {1OT2HL156812-01 (OTA-20-011)/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/complications ; *Cognitive Dysfunction/therapy/psychology/diagnosis ; Prospective Studies ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; *Multicenter Studies as Topic ; *Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ; Cognition ; Treatment Outcome ; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods ; Quality of Life ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) symptoms have broad impact, and may affect individuals regardless of COVID-19 severity, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or age. A prominent PASC symptom is cognitive dysfunction, colloquially referred to as "brain fog" and characterized by declines in short-term memory, attention, and concentration. Cognitive dysfunction can severely impair quality of life by impairing daily functional skills and preventing timely return to work.

METHODS: RECOVER-NEURO is a prospective, multi-center, multi-arm, phase 2, randomized, active-comparator design investigating 3 interventions: (1) BrainHQ is an interactive, online cognitive training program; (2) PASC-Cognitive Recovery is a cognitive rehabilitation program specifically designed to target frequently reported challenges among individuals with brain fog; (3) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive form of mild electrical brain stimulation. The interventions will be combined to establish 5 arms: (1) BrainHQ; (2) BrainHQ + PASC-Cognitive Recovery; (3) BrainHQ + tDCS-active; (4) BrainHQ + tDCS-sham; and (5) Active Comparator. The interventions will occur for 10 weeks. Assessments will be completed at baseline and at the end of intervention and will include cognitive testing and patient-reported surveys. All study activities can be delivered in Spanish and English.

DISCUSSION: This study is designed to test whether cognitive dysfunction symptoms can be alleviated by the use of pragmatic and established interventions with different mechanisms of action and with prior evidence of improving cognitive function in patients with neurocognitive disorder. If successful, results will provide beneficial treatments for PASC-related cognitive dysfunction.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05965739. Registered on July 25, 2023.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/complications
*Cognitive Dysfunction/therapy/psychology/diagnosis
Prospective Studies
*SARS-CoV-2
*Multicenter Studies as Topic
*Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Cognition
Treatment Outcome
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods
Quality of Life

@article {pmid38755365,
year = {2024},
author = {Berlit, P},
title = {[Not Available].},
journal = {MMW Fortschritte der Medizin},
volume = {166},
number = {9},
pages = {24},
doi = {10.1007/s15006-024-3936-x},
pmid = {38755365},
issn = {1613-3560},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/diagnosis ; *Biomarkers/blood ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; },
}

Humans
*COVID-19/diagnosis
*Biomarkers/blood
SARS-CoV-2
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

@article {pmid38754738,
year = {2024},
author = {Erinoso, O and Osibogun, O and Balakrishnan, S and Yang, W},
title = {Long COVID among US adults from a population-based study: Association with vaccination, cigarette smoking, and the modifying effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).},
journal = {Preventive medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {108004},
doi = {10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108004},
pmid = {38754738},
issn = {1096-0260},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Post-COVID Conditions (or Long COVID) have been widely reported, but population-based studies exploring the relationship between its risk factors are lacking. We examined the associations between Long COVID, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], vaccination status, and cigarette smoking. We also tested for the modifying effect of COPD status.

METHODS: Data from the 2022 US nationwide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. Our primary outcome was Long COVID (Yes/No) after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Predictor variables were COPD, coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, asthma, body mass index, cigarette smoking status, and number of COVID-19 vaccinations (0-4). Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used and adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Regression models were used to explore the modifying effects of COPD status.

RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of Long COVID among survivors (N = 121,379) was 21.8% (95%CI: 21.4, 22.3), with tiredness/fatigue (26.2% [95%:25.1, 27.2]) as the most common symptom. Respondents with COPD (aOR: 1.71 [95%CI: 1.45, 2.02]), current daily smokers (aOR: 1.23 [95%CI:1.01, 1.49]), and former smokers (aOR: 1.24 [95%CI:1.12, 1.38]) (vs. never established smokers) had higher odds of Long COVID. However, respondents who had received three (aOR: 0.75 [95%CI:0.65, 0.85]) and four (aOR: 0.71 [95%CI:0.58, 0.86]) vaccine doses (vs. no vaccine) had lower odds of Long COVID. COPD had a modifying effect on the relationship between cigarette smoking and Long COVID (p-value: 0.013).

CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore a complex interaction between COPD, cigarette smoking, and Long COVID. Further, COVID-19 vaccination may be protective against Long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38753568,
year = {2024},
author = {Elizarrarás-Rivas, J and Ramirez-Garcia, SA and Hernández-Osorio, LA and Salas-Alfaro, R and Elizarrarás-Cruz, JD},
title = {Serum levels of anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants and long COVID. Beyond their application in autoimmune diseases.},
journal = {Gaceta medica de Mexico},
volume = {160},
number = {1},
pages = {112-113},
doi = {10.24875/GMM.M24000851},
pmid = {38753568},
issn = {0016-3813},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/immunology ; *SARS-CoV-2/immunology ; *Autoimmune Diseases/blood/immunology ; *Ribonucleoproteins/immunology ; Autoantibodies/blood ; },
}

Humans
*COVID-19/immunology
*SARS-CoV-2/immunology
*Autoimmune Diseases/blood/immunology
*Ribonucleoproteins/immunology
Autoantibodies/blood

@article {pmid38750713,
year = {2024},
author = {Sanal-Hayes, NEM and Mclaughlin, M and Hayes, LD and Berry, ECJ and Sculthorpe, NF},
title = {Examining well-being and cognitive function in people with long Covid and ME/CFS, and age-matched healthy controls: A Case-Case-Control Study.},
journal = {The American journal of medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.041},
pmid = {38750713},
issn = {1555-7162},
abstract = {PURPOSE: Well-being and cognitive function had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study examined well-being and cognitive function in people with long COVID (∼16 months illness duration; n= 17) and ME/CFS (∼16 years illness duration; n=24), versus age-matched healthy controls (n=16).

METHODS: Well-being was examined using several questionnaires, namely the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), European Quality of Life-5 Domains (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea, Self-Efficacy (SELTC), The Edinburgh Neurosymptoms Questionnaire (ENS), General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was examined using Single Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test, and Trails A and B. These were delivered via a mobile application (app) built specifically for this remote data collection.

RESULTS: The main findings of the present investigation were that people with ME/CFS and people with long COVID were generally comparable on all well-being and cognitive function measures, but self-reported worse values for pain, fatigue, Post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, general well-being in relation to mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy, and other well-being such as anxiety and depression, compared to controls. There was no effect of group for cognitive function measures.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similar impairment on well-being measures examined herein. Therefore, interventions that target well-being of people with ME/CFS and long COVID are required.},
}

@article {pmid38750610,
year = {2024},
author = {Gonçalves, D and Costa, JP and Silva, S and Tavares, M and Barros, H and Meireles, P},
title = {The association between probable post-COVID-19 condition and sleep-related parameters: a longitudinal study of non-hospitalised patients.},
journal = {Journal of sleep research},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e14215},
doi = {10.1111/jsr.14215},
pmid = {38750610},
issn = {1365-2869},
support = {613735895//Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/ ; DFA/BD/8562/2020//Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/ ; LA/P/0064/2020//Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/ ; UIDB/04750/2020//Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/ ; },
abstract = {The long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on sleep remain poorly known. We evaluated the association between probable post-COVID-19 condition and changes in sleep quality and quantity before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a consecutive sample of non-hospitalized adults. Individuals were identified with SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 at the central laboratory of a tertiary hospital in Porto and followed as outpatients. We included patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection ≥3 months before this evaluation, with no missing data on key variables (n = 2445). Participants completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic, clinical, and infection-related questions. We computed changes in sleep-related parameters referred to 1 month before diagnosis and 1 week before the questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to compute crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Compared to the pre-infection period, those with probable post-COVID-19 condition reported a greater decrease in hours of sleep, had a 2.60 (95% CI 2.02-3.34) higher adjusted odds of perceiving their sleep quality as worsened and experienced a significant increase in number of days with sleeping disturbances as defined according to multiple items. The association between post-COVID-19 condition and indicators of poor sleep health requires special attention from healthcare professionals and services. It is essential that appropriate multidisciplinary care is provided to mitigate the physical, psychological, social, and professional impact of sleeping problems in these already burdened patients.},
}

@article {pmid38750527,
year = {2024},
author = {Lo, PC and Feng, JY and Hsiao, YH and Su, KC and Chou, KT and Chen, YM and Ko, HK and Perng, DW},
title = {Long COVID symptoms after 8-month recovery: persistent static lung hyperinflation associated with small airway dysfunction.},
journal = {Respiratory research},
volume = {25},
number = {1},
pages = {209},
pmid = {38750527},
issn = {1465-993X},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; *COVID-19/physiopathology/complications/epidemiology/diagnosis/immunology ; Prospective Studies ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; *Lung/physiopathology ; *Respiratory Function Tests/methods ; Aged ; Adult ; Recovery of Function ; Time Factors ; Dyspnea/physiopathology/epidemiology/diagnosis ; Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Limited research has investigated the relationship between small airway dysfunction (SAD) and static lung hyperinflation (SLH) in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) especially dyspnea and fatigue.

METHODS: 64 patients with PASC were enrolled between July 2020 and December 2022 in a prospective observational cohort. Pulmonary function tests, impulse oscillometry (IOS), and symptom questionnaires were performed two, five and eight months after acute infection. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the association between SLH and patient-reported outcomes.

RESULTS: SLH prevalence was 53.1% (34/64), irrespective of COVID-19 severity. IOS parameters and circulating CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio were significantly correlated with residual volume to total lung capacity ratio (RV/TLC). Serum CD8 + T cell count was negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) with statistical significance. Of the patients who had SLH at baseline, 57% continued to have persistent SLH after eight months of recovery, with these patients tending to be older and having dyspnea and fatigue. Post-COVID dyspnea was significantly associated with SLH and IOS parameters R5-R20, and AX with adjusted odds ratios 12.4, 12.8 and 7.6 respectively. SLH was also significantly associated with fatigue.

CONCLUSION: SAD and a decreased serum CD4/CD8 ratio were associated with SLH in patients with PASC. SLH may persist after recovery from infection in a substantial proportion of patients. SAD and dysregulated T-cell immune response correlated with SLH may contribute to the development of dyspnea and fatigue in patients with PASC.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Middle Aged
*COVID-19/physiopathology/complications/epidemiology/diagnosis/immunology
Prospective Studies
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
*Lung/physiopathology
*Respiratory Function Tests/methods
Aged
Adult
Recovery of Function
Time Factors
Dyspnea/physiopathology/epidemiology/diagnosis
Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology

@article {pmid38749696,
year = {2024},
author = {Cooper, K and Duncan, E and Hart-Winks, E and Cowie, J and Shim, J and Stage, E and Tooman, T and Alexander, L and Love, A and Morris, JH and Ormerod, J and Preston, J and Swinton, P},
title = {Exploring the perceptions and experiences of community rehabilitation for Long COVID from the perspectives of Scottish general practitioners' and people living with Long COVID: a qualitative study.},
journal = {BMJ open},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {e082830},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082830},
pmid = {38749696},
issn = {2044-6055},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; *Qualitative Research ; *COVID-19/rehabilitation/epidemiology ; Scotland ; *General Practitioners/psychology ; Adult ; Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Quality of Life ; Health Services Accessibility ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Community Health Services/organization & administration ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To explore the experience of accessing Long COVID community rehabilitation from the perspectives of people with Long COVID and general practitioners (GPs).

DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study employing one-to-one semistructured virtual interviews analysed using the framework method.

SETTING: Four National Health Service Scotland territorial health boards.

PARTICIPANTS: 11 people with Long COVID (1 male, 10 female; aged 40-65 (mean 53) and 13 GPs (5 male, 8 female).

RESULTS: Four key themes were identified: (1) The lived experience of Long COVID, describing the negative impact of Long COVID on participants' health and quality of life; (2) The challenges of an emergent and complex chronic condition, including uncertainties related to diagnosis and management; (3) Systemic challenges for Long COVID service delivery, including lack of clear pathways for access and referral, siloed services, limited resource and a perceived lack of holistic care, and (4) Perceptions and experiences of Long COVID and its management, including rehabilitation. In this theme, a lack of knowledge by GPs and people with Long COVID on the potential role of community rehabilitation for Long COVID was identified. Having prior knowledge of rehabilitation or being a healthcare professional appeared to facilitate access to community rehabilitation. Finally, people with Long COVID who had received rehabilitation had generally found it beneficial.

CONCLUSIONS: There are several patient, GP and service-level barriers to accessing community rehabilitation for Long COVID. There is a need for greater understanding by the public, GPs and other potential referrers of the role of community rehabilitation professionals in the management of Long COVID. There is also a need for community rehabilitation services to be well promoted and accessible to the people with Long COVID for whom they may be appropriate. The findings of this study can be used by those (re)designing community rehabilitation services for people with Long COVID.},
}

Humans
Male
Female
Middle Aged
*Qualitative Research
*COVID-19/rehabilitation/epidemiology
Scotland
*General Practitioners/psychology
Adult
Aged
*SARS-CoV-2
Quality of Life
Health Services Accessibility
Attitude of Health Personnel
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Community Health Services/organization & administration

@article {pmid38749402,
year = {2024},
author = {Anastassopoulou, C and Davaris, N and Ferous, S and Siafakas, N and Boufidou, F and Anagnostopoulos, K and Tsakris, A},
title = {The Molecular Basis of Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19 and Long COVID.},
journal = {Lifestyle genomics},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1159/000539292},
pmid = {38749402},
issn = {2504-3188},
abstract = {Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is not uncommon following viral infection. Herein, we explore the interplay of host genetics with viral correlates in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)- and long COVID-related OD, and its diagnosis and treatment that remain challenging. Two genes associated with olfaction, UGT2A1 and UGT2A2, appear to be involved in COVID-19-related anosmia, a hallmark symptom of acute infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), particularly in the early stages of the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infects olfactory support cells, sustentacular and Bowman gland cells, that surround olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) where the initial step of odor detection takes place. Anosmia primarily arises from the infection of support cells of the OE, followed by the deciliation and disruption of OE integrity, typically without OSN infection. Through the projected axons of OSNs, the virus could theoretically reach the olfactory bulb and brain, but current evidence points against this route. Intriguingly, SARS-CoV-2 infection of support cells leads to profound alterations in the nuclear architecture of OSNs, leading to the downregulation of odorant receptor-related genes, e.g., of Adcy3. Viral factors associated with the development of OD include spike protein aminoacidic changes, e.g., D614G, the first substitution that was selected early during SARS-CoV-2 evolution. More recent variants of the Omicron family are less likely to cause OD compared to Delta or Alpha, although OD has been associated with a milder disease course. OD is one of the most prevalent post-acute neurologic symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The tens of millions of people worldwide who have lingering problems with OD wait eagerly for effective new treatments that will restore their sense of smell which adds value to their quality of life.},
}

@article {pmid38748355,
year = {2024},
author = {Wang, J and Li, Y and Mu, Y and Huang, K and Li, D and Lan, C and Cui, Y and Wang, J},
title = {Missing microbes in infants and children in the COVID-19 pandemic: a study of 1,126 participants in Beijing, China.},
journal = {Science China. Life sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38748355},
issn = {1869-1889},
abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many fatalities worldwide and continues to affect the health of the recovered patients in the form of long-COVID. In this study, we compared the gut microbiome of uninfected infants and children before the pandemic began (BEFORE cohort, n=906) to that of after the pandemic (AFTER cohort, n=220) to examine the potential impact of social distancing and life habit changes on infant/children gut microbiome. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing, we found a significant change in microbiome composition after the pandemic, with Bacteroides enterotype increasing to 35.45% from 30.46% before the pandemic. qPCR quantification indicated that the bacterial loads of seven keystone taxa decreased by 91.69%-19.58%. Quantitative microbiome profiling, used to enhance the resolution in detecting microbiome differences, revealed a greater explained variance of pandemic on microbiome compared to gender, as well as a significant decrease in bacterial loads in 15 of the 20 major genera. The random forest age-predictor indicated the gut microbiomes were less mature in the after-pandemic cohort than in the before-pandemic cohort in the children group (3-12 years old) and had features of a significantly younger age (average of 1.86 years). Lastly, body weight and height were significantly lower in the after-pandemic cohort than in the before-pandemic cohort in infants (<1 year of age), which was associated with a decrease in bacterial loads in the fecal microbiome.},
}

@article {pmid38747853,
year = {2024},
author = {Campos, MDSB and Brito, GMG and Santos, KSDC and Santos, MAA and Martins-Filho, PR and Sousa, ACS},
title = {Chronotropic incompetence is associated with reduced aerobic conditioning and sedentary behavior in patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.},
journal = {Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo},
volume = {66},
number = {},
pages = {e32},
doi = {10.1590/S1678-9946202466032},
pmid = {38747853},
issn = {1678-9946},
mesh = {Humans ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; *COVID-19/physiopathology/complications ; Middle Aged ; *Sedentary Behavior ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; *Exercise/physiology ; Adult ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Exercise Tolerance/physiology ; Brazil/epidemiology ; Heart Rate/physiology ; Exercise Test ; Quality of Life ; },
abstract = {Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, or long COVID, presents with persistent symptoms, including cough, dyspnea, and fatigue, extending beyond one month after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cardiac complications such as chest pain and arrhythmias have raised concerns, with chronotropic incompetence (CI), an inadequate heart rate increase during exercise, emerging as a significant condition contributing to diminished exercise tolerance and quality of life. This study estimated the prevalence of CI and explored its association with aerobic capacity and physical activity levels in long COVID patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a private hospital in Sergipe, Brazil, involving 93 patients over 18 years old with persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. Exclusion criteria included beta-blocker use, inadequate respiratory exchange ratio, and inability to complete cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Clinical histories, CPET results, and chronotropic index calculation were used to identify CI, with logistic regression analyzing associated factors. Of the participants (mean age 45 years; average duration since COVID-19 diagnosis 120 days), 20.4% were diagnosed with CI. Logistic regression identified a strong association between CI and sedentary behavior (OR 11.80; 95% CI 2.54 to 54.78; p=0.001). Patients with CI showed lower predicted peak heart rates and maximal oxygen uptake. The prevalence of CI among long COVID patients in this study was approximately 20%, associated with decreased aerobic capacity and increased sedentary behavior. These findings highlight the need for timely diagnosis and therapeutic interventions, including cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, to enhance the quality of life in post-COVID patients with CI. The study's cross-sectional design and its specific context have limited causality inference and generalizability, underscoring the importance of further research in diverse settings.},
}

Humans
Male
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
*COVID-19/physiopathology/complications
Middle Aged
*Sedentary Behavior
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
*Exercise/physiology
Adult
SARS-CoV-2
Exercise Tolerance/physiology
Brazil/epidemiology
Heart Rate/physiology
Exercise Test
Quality of Life

@article {pmid38747018,
year = {2024},
author = {Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, C and Torres-Macho, J and Ruiz-Ruigómez, M and Arrieta-Ortubay, E and Rodríguez-Rebollo, C and Akasbi-Moltalvo, M and Pardo-Guimerá, V and Ryan-Murua, P and Lumbreras-Bermejo, C and Pellicer-Valero, OJ and Giordano, R and Arendt-Nielsen, L and Franco-Moreno, A},
title = {Presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID symptoms 2 years after hospitalization: The VIPER study.},
journal = {Journal of medical virology},
volume = {96},
number = {5},
pages = {e29676},
doi = {10.1002/jmv.29676},
pmid = {38747018},
issn = {1096-9071},
support = {//Consejería de Sanidad, Comunidad de Madrid/ ; //Novo Nordisk Fonden/ ; DNRF121//Danish National Research Foundation/ ; NNF21OC0067235//Novo Nordisk Foundation/ ; //Fondo Europeo De Desarrollo Regional-Recursos REACT-UE del Programa Operativo de Madrid 2014-2020/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/virology/complications ; Female ; Male ; *RNA, Viral/blood/genetics ; Middle Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2/genetics ; *Survivors ; *Nasopharynx/virology ; Adult ; *Hospitalization ; *Feces/virology ; Aged ; },
abstract = {The SARS-CoV-2 VIrus PERsistence (VIPER) study investigated the presence of long-lasting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, stool, urine, and nasopharyngeal samples in COVID-19 survivors. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were analyzed within plasma, stool, urine, and nasopharyngeal swab samples in COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID symptoms and a comparison group of COVID-19 survivors without post-COVID symptoms matched by age, sex, body mass index and vaccination status. Participants self-reported the presence of any post-COVID symptom (defined as a symptom that started no later than 3 months after the initial infection). Fifty-seven (57.9% women, age: 51.1, standard deviation [SD]: 10.4 years) previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID symptoms and 55 (56.4% women, age: 50.0, SD: 12.8 years) matched individuals who had a past SARS-CoV-2 infection without post-COVID symptoms were evaluated 27 (SD 7.5) and 26 (SD 8.7) months after hospital discharge, respectively. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified in three nasopharyngeal samples of patients with post-COVID symptoms (5.2%) but not in plasma, stool, or urine samples. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not identified in any sample of survivors without post-COVID symptoms. The most prevalent post-COVID symptoms consisted of fatigue (93%), dyspnea, and pain (both, 87.7%). This study did not find SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, stool, or urine samples, 2 years after the infection. A prevalence of 5.2% of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal samples, suggesting a potential active or recent reinfection, was found in patients with post-COVID symptoms. These results do not support the association between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in plasma, stool, urine, or nasopharyngeal swab samples and post-COVID symptomatology in the recruited population.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/virology/complications
Female
Male
*RNA, Viral/blood/genetics
Middle Aged
*SARS-CoV-2/genetics
*Survivors
*Nasopharynx/virology
Adult
*Hospitalization
*Feces/virology
Aged

@article {pmid38747003,
year = {2024},
author = {Qiao, H and Deng, X and Qiu, L and Qu, Y and Chiu, Y and Chen, F and Xia, S and Muenzel, C and Ge, T and Zhang, Z and Song, P and Bonnin, A and Zhao, Z and Yuan, W},
title = {SARS-CoV-2 induces blood-brain barrier and choroid plexus barrier impairments and vascular inflammation in mice.},
journal = {Journal of medical virology},
volume = {96},
number = {5},
pages = {e29671},
doi = {10.1002/jmv.29671},
pmid = {38747003},
issn = {1096-9071},
support = {//W. M. Keck Foundation/ ; //National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/ ; //Infectious Diseases Society of America/ ; },
mesh = {*Blood-Brain Barrier/virology ; Animals ; *Choroid Plexus/virology/pathology ; *COVID-19/virology/pathology/complications/physiopathology ; Mice ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Tight Junctions/virology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism ; Inflammation/virology ; Humans ; Pericytes/virology/pathology ; },
abstract = {The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to more than 700 million confirmed cases and nearly 7 million deaths. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus mainly infects the respiratory system, neurological complications are widely reported in both acute infection and long-COVID cases. Despite the success of vaccines and antiviral treatments, neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 remains an important question, which is also centered on the mystery of whether the virus is capable of breaching the barriers into the central nervous system. By studying the K18-hACE2 infection model, we observed clear evidence of microvascular damage and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Mechanistically, SARS-CoV-2 infection caused pericyte damage, tight junction loss, endothelial activation and vascular inflammation, which together drive microvascular injury and BBB impairment. In addition, the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier at the choroid plexus was also impaired after infection. Therefore, cerebrovascular and choroid plexus dysfunctions are important aspects of COVID-19 and may contribute to neurological complications both acutely and in long COVID.},
}

*Blood-Brain Barrier/virology
Animals
*Choroid Plexus/virology/pathology
*COVID-19/virology/pathology/complications/physiopathology
Mice
*SARS-CoV-2
Tight Junctions/virology
Disease Models, Animal
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism
Inflammation/virology
Humans
Pericytes/virology/pathology

@article {pmid38746454,
year = {2024},
author = {Shankar, V and Wilhelmy, J and Curtis, EJ and Michael, B and Cervantes, L and Mallajosyula, VA and Davis, RW and Snyder, M and Younis, S and Robinson, WH and Shankar, S and Mischel, PS and Bonilla, H and Davis, MM},
title = {Oxidative Stress is a shared characteristic of ME/CFS and Long COVID.},
journal = {bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.05.04.592477},
pmid = {38746454},
abstract = {More than 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have Long COVID (LC), a complex multisystemic condition, wherein patients of all ages report fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and other symptoms resembling myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). With no current treatments or reliable diagnostic markers, there is an urgent need to define the molecular underpinnings of these conditions. By studying bioenergetic characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes in over 16 healthy controls, 15 ME/CFS, and 15 LC, we find both ME/CFS and LC donors exhibit signs of elevated oxidative stress, relative to healthy controls, especially in the memory subset. Using a combination of flow cytometry, bulk RNA-seq analysis, mass spectrometry, and systems chemistry analysis, we also observed aberrations in ROS clearance pathways including elevated glutathione levels, decreases in mitochondrial superoxide dismutase levels, and glutathione peroxidase 4 mediated lipid oxidative damage. Critically, these changes in redox pathways show striking sex-specific trends. While females diagnosed with ME/CFS exhibit higher total ROS and mitochondrial calcium levels, males with an ME/CFS diagnosis have normal ROS levels, but larger changes in lipid oxidative damage. Further analyses show that higher ROS levels correlates with hyperproliferation of T cells in females, consistent with the known role of elevated ROS levels in the initiation of proliferation. This hyperproliferation of T cells can be attenuated by metformin, suggesting this FDA-approved drug as a possible treatment, as also suggested by a recent clinical study of LC patients. Thus, we report that both ME/CFS and LC are mechanistically related and could be diagnosed with quantitative blood cell measurements. We also suggest that effective, patient tailored drugs might be discovered using standard lymphocyte stimulation assays.},
}

@article {pmid38746290,
year = {2024},
author = {Mandel, H and Yoo, Y and Allen, A and Abedian, S and Verzani, Z and Karlson, E and Kleinman, L and Mudumbi, P and Oliveira, C and Muszynski, J and Gross, R and Carton, T and Kim, C and Taylor, E and Park, H and Divers, J and Kelly, J and Arnold, J and Geary, C and Zang, C and Tantisira, K and Rhee, K and Koropsak, M and Mohandas, S and Vasey, A and Weiner, M and Mosa, A and Haendel, M and Chute, C and Murphy, S and O'Brien, L and Szmuszkovicz, J and Güthe, N and Santana, J and De, A and Bogie, A and Halabi, K and Mohanraj, L and Kinser, P and Packard, S and Tuttle, K and Thorpe, L and Moffitt, R},
title = {Long COVID incidence in adults and children between 2020 and 2023: a real-world data study from the RECOVER Initiative.},
journal = {Research square},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-4124710/v1},
pmid = {38746290},
abstract = {Estimates of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) incidence, also known as Long COVID, have varied across studies and changed over time. We estimated PASC incidence among adult and pediatric populations in three nationwide research networks of electronic health records (EHR) participating in the RECOVER Initiative using different classification algorithms (computable phenotypes). Overall, 7% of children and 8.5%-26.4% of adults developed PASC, depending on computable phenotype used. Excess incidence among SARS-CoV-2 patients was 4% in children and ranged from 4-7% among adults, representing a lower-bound incidence estimation based on two control groups - contemporary COVID-19 negative and historical patients (2019). Temporal patterns were consistent across networks, with peaks associated with introduction of new viral variants. Our findings indicate that preventing and mitigating Long COVID remains a public health priority. Examining temporal patterns and risk factors of PASC incidence informs our understanding of etiology and can improve prevention and management.},
}

@article {pmid38746213,
year = {2024},
author = {Stalker, G and Tudas, R and Garg, A and Graham, L and Thurman, AL and Wiblin, RT and Hamzeh, N and Blount, RJ and Villacreses, R and Zabner, J and Comellas, A and Cho, JL and Pezzulo, A},
title = {Long-COVID improves in 50% of patients after a year in a Midwestern cohort.},
journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.04.30.24306497},
pmid = {38746213},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Many of those infected with COVID-19 experience long-term disability due to persistent symptoms known as Long-COVID, which include ongoing respiratory issues, loss of taste and smell, and impaired daily functioning.

RESEARCH QUESTION: This study aims to better understand the chronology of long-COVID symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 403 adults from the University of Iowa long-COVID clinic (June 2020 to February 2022). Participants provided symptom data during acute illness, symptom progression, and other clinical characteristics. Patients in this registry received a survey containing questions including current symptoms and status since long-COVID diagnosis (sliding status scale, PHQ2, GAD2, MMRC). Those >12 months since acute-COVID diagnosis had chart review done to track their symptomology.

RESULTS: Of 403 participants contacted, 129 (32%) responded. The mean age (in years) was 50.17 +/-14.28, with 31.8% male and 68.2% female. Severity of acute covid treatment was stratified by treatment in the outpatient (70.5%), inpatient (16.3%), or ICU (13.2%) settings. 51.2% reported subjective improvement (sliding scale scores of 67-100) since long-COVID onset. Ages 18-29 reported significantly higher subjective status scores. Subjective status scores were unaffected by severity. 102 respondents were >12 months from their initial COVID-19 diagnosis and were tracked for longitudinal symptom persistence. All symptoms tracked had variance (mean fraction 0.58, range 0.34-0.75) in the reported symptoms at the time of long-COVID presentation when compared with patient survey report. 48 reported persistent dyspnea, 23 (48%) had resolved it at time of survey. For fatigue, 44 had persistence, 12 (27%) resolved.

INTERPRETATION: Overall, 51.2% respondents improved since their long-COVID began. Pulmonary symptoms were more persistent than neuromuscular symptoms (anosmia, dysgeusia, myalgias). Gender, time since acute COVID infection, and its severity didn't affect subjective status or symptoms. This study highlights recall bias that may be prevalent in other long-COVID research reliant on participant memory.},
}

@article {pmid38746044,
year = {2024},
author = {Chen, XY and Lu, CL and Wang, QY and Pan, XR and Zhang, YY and Wang, JL and Liao, JY and Hu, NC and Wang, CY and Duan, BJ and Liu, XH and Jin, XY and Hunter, J and Liu, JP},
title = {Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine for fatigue post COVID-19 infection: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.},
journal = {Integrative medicine research},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {101039},
pmid = {38746044},
issn = {2213-4220},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue is a predominant symptom of post COVID-19 condition, or long COVID. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) for fatigue post COVID-19 infection.

METHODS: Ten English and Chinese language databases and grey literature were searched up to 12 April 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Cochrane "Risk of bias" (RoB) tool was applied. Evidence certainty was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Effect estimates were presented as risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS: Thirteen RCTs with 1632 participants were included. One RCT showed that Bufei Huoxue herbal capsules reduced fatigue (n=129, MD -14.90, 95%CI -24.53 to -5.27), one RCT reported that Ludangshen herbal liquid lowered fatigue (n=184, MD -1.90, 95%CI -2.38 to -1.42), and the other one RCT shown that fatigue disappearance rate was higher with Ludangshen herbal liquid (n=184, RR 4.19, 95%CI 2.06 to 8.53). Compared to traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation (TCM-rahab) alone, one RCT showed that fatigue symptoms were lower following Qingjin Yiqi granules plus TCM-rehab (n=388, MD -0.48, 95%CI -0.50 to -0.46). Due to concerns with RoB and/or imprecision, the certainty in this evidence was low to very low. No serious adverse events was reported.

CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence suggests that various TCIM interventions might reduce post COVID-19 fatigue. Larger, high quality RCTs of longer duration are required to confirm these preliminary findings.

STUDY REGISTRATION: The protocol of this review has been registered at PROSPERO: CRD42022384136.},
}

@article {pmid38745674,
year = {2024},
author = {Dhingra, S and Fu, J and Cloherty, G and Mallon, P and Wasse, H and Moy, J and Landay, A and Kenny, G},
title = {Identification of inflammatory clusters in long-COVID through analysis of plasma biomarker levels.},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1385858},
pmid = {38745674},
issn = {1664-3224},
mesh = {Humans ; *Biomarkers/blood ; Male ; Female ; *COVID-19/immunology/blood ; Middle Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2/immunology ; *Inflammation/blood/immunology ; Aged ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Cluster Analysis ; Adult ; },
abstract = {Mechanisms underlying long COVID remain poorly understood. Patterns of immunological responses in individuals with long COVID may provide insight into clinical phenotypes. Here we aimed to identify these immunological patterns and study the inflammatory processes ongoing in individuals with long COVID. We applied an unsupervised hierarchical clustering approach to analyze plasma levels of 42 biomarkers measured in individuals with long COVID. Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between biomarker clusters, clinical variables, and symptom phenotypes. In 101 individuals, we identified three inflammatory clusters: a limited immune activation cluster, an innate immune activation cluster, and a systemic immune activation cluster. Membership in these inflammatory clusters did not correlate with individual symptoms or symptom phenotypes, but was associated with clinical variables including age, BMI, and vaccination status. Differences in serologic responses between clusters were also observed. Our results indicate that clinical variables of individuals with long COVID are associated with their inflammatory profiles and can provide insight into the ongoing immune responses.},
}

Humans
*Biomarkers/blood
Male
Female
*COVID-19/immunology/blood
Middle Aged
*SARS-CoV-2/immunology
*Inflammation/blood/immunology
Aged
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Cluster Analysis
Adult

@article {pmid38745394,
year = {2024},
author = {Brainin, M and Teuschl, Y and Gelpi, E},
title = {"Spanish flu," encephalitis lethargica, and COVID-19: Progress made, lessons learned, and directions for future research.},
journal = {European journal of neurology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {e16312},
doi = {10.1111/ene.16312},
pmid = {38745394},
issn = {1468-1331},
abstract = {One hundred years ago, an influenza pandemic swept across the globe that coincided with the development of a neurological condition, named "encephalitis lethargica" for the occurrence of its main symptom, the sudden onset of sleepiness that either developed into coma or gradually receded. Between 1917 and 1920, mortality of the flu was >20 million and of encephalitis lethargica approximately 1 million. For lessons to be learned from this pandemic, it makes sense to compare it with the COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred 100 years later. Biomedical progress had enabled testing, vaccinations, and drug therapies accompanied by public health measures such as social distancing, contact tracing, wearing face masks, and frequent hand washing. From todays' perspective, these public health measures are time honored but not sufficiently proven effective, especially when applied in the context of a vaccination strategy. Also, the protective effects of lockdowns of schools, universities, and other institutions and the restrictions on travel and personal visits to hospitals or old-age homes are not precisely known. Preparedness is still a demand for a future pandemic. Clinical trials should determine the comparative effectiveness of such public health measures, especially for their use as a combination strategy with vaccination and individual testing of asymptomatic individuals. It is important for neurologists to realize that during a pandemic the treatment possibilities for acute stroke and other neurological emergencies are reduced, which has previously led to an increase of mortality and suffering. To increase preparedness for a future pandemic, neurologists play an important role, as the case load of acute and chronic neurological patients will be higher as well as the needs for rehabilitation. Finally, new chronic forms of postviral disease will likely be added, as was the case for postencephalitic parkinsonism a century ago and now has occurred as long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38745298,
year = {2024},
author = {Nasrullah, A and Virk, S and Javed, A and Shah, A and Ramanujam, D and Sharma, A and Gutierrez, L and Nauer, K and Maggio, M and Yin, Y and Bajwa, Y and Cheema, T and Disilvio, B},
title = {Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on functional and psychological parameters in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) patients.},
journal = {BMC pulmonary medicine},
volume = {24},
number = {1},
pages = {231},
pmid = {38745298},
issn = {1471-2466},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/rehabilitation/psychology/complications ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; *Quality of Life ; Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Walk Test ; Dyspnea/etiology/rehabilitation/psychology/physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: COVID-19 survivors may develop long-term symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea, mental health issues, and functional limitations: a condition termed post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a recommended treatment for PASC; however, there is a lack of data regarding PR's effect on multiple health indices and the factors that influence patient outcomes. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on functional and psychological parameters in patients diagnosed with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC), thereby offering insights into the efficacy of such interventions in improving the quality of life and clinical outcomes for these individuals.

METHODS: We extracted patient demographic, comorbidity, and outcome data from Allegheny Health Network's electronic medical records. Functionality test results were compared before and after PR, including 6-minute walk test (6MWT), chair rise repetitions (CR reps), timed up and go test (TUG), gait speed (Rehab gait), modified medical research council scale (MMRC), shortness of breath questionnaire (SOBQ), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test (CAT) scores. Multiple regression analysis was done to evaluate the effect of comorbidities and patient factors on patient responses to PR.

RESULTS: The 55 patients included in this study had a mean time of 4 months between the initial COVID-19 diagnosis and the subsequent PASC diagnosis. Following pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), significant improvements were observed across various metrics. The distance covered in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) increased markedly from a pre-rehabilitation average of 895 feet (SD 290) to 1,300 feet (SD 335) post-rehabilitation, with a mean change of 405 feet (95% CI [333, 477]). Chair rise repetitions (CR reps) saw an increase from 9 (SD 3) reps to 13 (SD 3) reps, with a change of 4 reps (95% CI [3.7, 4.9]). The timed up and go test (TUG) time decreased significantly from 13 s (SD 5) to 10 s (SD 2), reflecting a mean reduction of 3 s (95% CI [-4.5, -2.5]). Rehabilitation gait speed improved from 1.0 m/s to 1.3 m/s, changing by 0.3 m/s (95% CI [0.2, 0.3]). The Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale showed a notable decrease from a mean of 2 (SD 1) to 1 (SD 1), a change of -1 (95% CI [-1.5, -1]). The Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ) scores reduced significantly from 51 (SD 21) to 22 (SD 18), with a change of -29 (95% CI [-34, -23]). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores decreased from 11 (SD 7) to 8 (SD 7), a reduction of -4 (95% CI [-5, -2]). Lastly, the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) scores significantly dropped from 18 (SD 7) to 9 (SD 7), changing by -10 (95% CI [-11, -8]). However, the presence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, outpatient status, and receipt of specific pharmacologic treatments (decadron, decadron + remdesivir, and decadron + remdesivir + tocilizumab) were identified as factors associated with a poor response to PR.

CONCLUSION: Our study supports PR as an integrated model of care for PASC patients to improve several physical and mental health indices. The long-term effects of PR on patients' functional status should be investigated in the future.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/rehabilitation/psychology/complications
Male
Female
Middle Aged
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
*Quality of Life
Aged
*SARS-CoV-2
Walk Test
Dyspnea/etiology/rehabilitation/psychology/physiopathology
Retrospective Studies

@article {pmid38744274,
year = {2024},
author = {Hu, WT and Kaluzova, M and Dawson, A and Sotelo, V and Papas, J and Lemenze, A and Shu, C and Jomartin, M and Nayyar, A and Hussain, S},
title = {Clinical and CSF single-cell profiling of post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment.},
journal = {Cell reports. Medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {101561},
doi = {10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101561},
pmid = {38744274},
issn = {2666-3791},
abstract = {Natural history and mechanisms for persistent cognitive symptoms ("brain fog") following acute and often mild COVID-19 are unknown. In a large prospective cohort of people who underwent testing a median of 9 months after acute COVID-19 in the New York City/New Jersey area, we found that cognitive dysfunction is common; is not influenced by mood, fatigue, or sleepiness; and is correlated with MRI changes in very few people. In a subgroup that underwent cerebrospinal fluid analysis, there are no changes related to Alzheimer's disease or neurodegeneration. Single-cell gene expression analysis in the cerebrospinal fluid shows findings consistent with monocyte recruitment, chemokine signaling, cellular stress, and suppressed interferon response-especially in myeloid cells. Longitudinal analysis shows slow recovery accompanied by key alterations in inflammatory genes and increased protein levels of CXCL8, CCL3L1, and sTREM2. These findings suggest that the prognosis for brain fog following COVID-19 correlates with myeloid-related chemokine and interferon-responsive genes.},
}

@article {pmid38741940,
year = {2024},
author = {Finsterer, J},
title = {Letter to the Editor From J. Finsterer: "Explaining Long COVID: A Pioneer Cross-Sectional Study Supporting the Endocrine Hypothesis".},
journal = {Journal of the Endocrine Society},
volume = {8},
number = {6},
pages = {bvae086},
pmid = {38741940},
issn = {2472-1972},
}

@article {pmid38740499,
year = {2024},
author = {Naik, H and Cooke, E and Boulter, T and Dyer, R and Bone, JN and Tsai, M and Cristobal, J and McKay, RJ and Song, X and Nacul, L},
title = {Low-dose naltrexone for post-COVID fatigue syndrome: a study protocol for a double-blind, randomised trial in British Columbia.},
journal = {BMJ open},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {e085272},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085272},
pmid = {38740499},
issn = {2044-6055},
mesh = {Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; *Naltrexone/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; British Columbia ; *Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage/therapeutic use ; COVID-19/complications ; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/drug therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Adult ; Male ; Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic ; Female ; },
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of individuals suffering from post COVID-19 condition (PCC, also known as long COVID) can present with persistent, disabling fatigue similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-viral fatigue syndromes. There remains no clear pharmacological therapy for patients with this subtype of PCC, which can be referred to as post-COVID fatigue syndrome (PCFS). A low dose of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (ie, low-dose naltrexone (LDN)) has emerged as an off-label treatment for treating fatigue and other symptoms in PCC. However, only small, non-controlled studies have assessed LDN in PCC, so randomised trials are urgently required.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A prospective, randomised, double-blind, parallel arm, placebo-controlled phase II trial will be performed to assess the efficacy of LDN for improving fatigue in PCFS. The trial will be decentralised and open to eligible individuals throughout the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). Participants will be recruited through the province-wide Post-COVID-19 Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network (PC-ICCN) and research volunteer platform (REACH BC). Eligible participants will be 19-69 years old, have had a confirmed or physician-suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection at least 3 months prior and meet clinical criteria for PCFS adapted from the Institute of Medicine ME/CFS criteria. Individuals who are taking opioid medications, have a history of ME/CFS prior to COVID-19 or history of significant liver disease will be excluded. Participants will be randomised to an LDN intervention arm (n=80) or placebo arm (n=80). Participants in each arm will be prescribed identical capsules starting at 1 mg daily and follow a prespecified schedule for up-titration to 4.5 mg daily or the maximum tolerated dose. The trial will be conducted over 16 weeks, with assessments at baseline, 6, 12 and 16 weeks. The primary outcome will be fatigue severity at 16 weeks evaluated by the Fatigue Severity Scale. Secondary outcomes will include pain Visual Analogue Scale score, overall symptom severity as measured by the Patient Phenotyping Questionnaire Short Form, 7-day step count and health-related quality of life measured by the EuroQol 5-Dimension questionnaire.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial has been authorised by Health Canada and approved by The University of British Columbia/Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia Research Ethics Board. On completion, findings will be disseminated to patients, caregivers and clinicians through engagement activities within existing PCC and ME/CFS networks. Results will be published in academic journals and presented at conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05430152.},
}

Humans
Double-Blind Method
*Naltrexone/administration & dosage/therapeutic use
British Columbia
*Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage/therapeutic use
COVID-19/complications
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/drug therapy
Prospective Studies
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
SARS-CoV-2
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Adult
Male
Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
Female

@article {pmid38739455,
year = {2024},
author = {Daungsupawong, H and Wiwanitkit, V},
title = {Photobiomodulation in the Treatment of Dysgeusia in Patients with Long COVID: Comment.},
journal = {Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1089/photob.2024.0040},
pmid = {38739455},
issn = {2578-5478},
}

@article {pmid38739435,
year = {2024},
author = {Müllenmeister, C and Stoelting, A and Schröder, D and Schmachtenberg, T and Ritter, S and El-Sayed, I and Steffens, S and Klawonn, F and Klawitter, S and Homann, S and Mikuteit, M and Berg, C and Behrens, G and Hummers, E and Cook, A and Müller, F and Dopfer-Jablonka, A and Happle, C},
title = {Evaluating the Feasibility, Acceptance, and Beneficial Effects of Online Occupational Therapy for Post-COVID-19 Condition: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (ErgoLoCo Study).},
journal = {JMIR research protocols},
volume = {13},
number = {},
pages = {e50230},
doi = {10.2196/50230},
pmid = {38739435},
issn = {1929-0748},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/psychology ; *Occupational Therapy/methods ; *Feasibility Studies ; Pilot Projects ; Telemedicine/methods ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Germany ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Middle Aged ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS; also known as "long COVID") is a relatively novel disease comprising physical, psychological, and cognitive complaints persisting several weeks to months after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. Approximately 10% of patients with COVID-19 are affected by long-term symptoms. However, effective treatment strategies are lacking. The ErgoLoCo (Occupational Therapy [Ergotherapie] for Long COVID) study was designed to develop and evaluate a novel occupational therapy (OT) concept of online delivery of therapy for long COVID.

OBJECTIVE: The primary study objective is to assess the feasibility of the online OT intervention in PCS. Secondary aims include the evaluation of online OT concerning cognitive problems, occupational performance, and social participation.

METHODS: This randomized controlled interventional pilot study involves parallel mixed methods process analyses and a realist evaluation approach. A total of 80 clients with PCS aged at least 16 years will be recruited into two interventional groups. The control cohort (watch and wait) comprises 80 clients with long COVID. Treatment is provided through teletherapy (n=40) or delivery of prerecorded videos (n=40) using the same standardized OT concept twice weekly over 12 weeks. Analyses of quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews based on the theoretical framework of acceptability will be performed to assess feasibility. Focus group meetings will be used to assess how acceptable and helpful the intervention was to the participating occupational therapists. Standardized tests will be used to assess the initial efficacy of the intervention on neurocognitive performance; limitations in mobility, self-care, and everyday activities; pain; disabilities; quality of life (QoL); social participation; and anxiety and depression in PCS, and the possible effects of online OT on these complaints.

RESULTS: The German Ministry of Education and Research provided funding for this research in March 2022. Data collection took place from October 2022 to August 31, 2023. Data analysis will be completed by the end of April 2024. We anticipate publishing the results in the fall of 2024.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite the enormous clinical need, effective and scalable treatment options for OT clients who have PCS remain scarce. The ErgoLoCo study will assess whether online-delivered OT is a feasible treatment approach in PCS. Furthermore, this study will assess the effect of the intervention on cognitive symptoms, QoL, and occupational performance and participation in everyday life. Particular emphasis will be placed on the experiences of clients and occupational therapists with digitally delivered OT. This study will pave the way for novel and effective treatment strategies in PCS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trial Registry DRKS00029990; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00029990.

PRR1-10.2196/50230.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/psychology
*Occupational Therapy/methods
*Feasibility Studies
Pilot Projects
Telemedicine/methods
Male
Adult
Female
Germany
SARS-CoV-2
Middle Aged

@article {pmid38739263,
year = {2024},
author = {Ruzicka, M and Sachenbacher, S and Heimkes, F and Uebleis, AO and Karch, S and Grosse-Wentrup, F and Ibarra Fonseca, GJ and Wunderlich, N and Bogner, J and Mayerle, J and von Bergwelt-Baildon, M and Falkai, P and Subklewe, M and Ruzicka, T and Benesch, C and Valdinoci, E and Pernpruner, A and Thomas, A and Heindl, B and Stubbe, HC and Adorjan, K},
title = {Characterization of cognitive symptoms in post COVID-19 patients.},
journal = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38739263},
issn = {1433-8491},
abstract = {Cognitive symptoms (CS) belong to the most common manifestations of the Post COVID-19 (PC) condition. We sought to objectify CS in PC patients using routine diagnostic assessments: neurocognitive testing (NCT) and brain imaging (BI). Further, we investigated possible associations of CS with patient reported outcomes (PROs), and risk factors for developing CS. Clinical data and PROs of 315 PC patients were assessed at a mean of 6 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. 231 (73.3%) patients reported any sort of CS. Among them, 78 underwent NCT and 55 received BI. In NCT, the cognitive domains most affected were the working memory, attention, and concentration. Nonetheless, pathological thresholds were exceeded only in few cases. Neurocognitive performance did not differ significantly between patients complaining of severe (n = 26) versus non-severe (n = 52) CS. BI findings were abnormal in 8 (14.5%) cases with CS but were most likely not related to PC. Patients reporting high severity of CS scored worse in the PHQ-9, FSS, WHOQOL-BREF, were more likely to report impaired sleep, and had a higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses. Overall, NCT could confirm mild impairment in some but not all PC patients with CS, while BI studies were abnormal in only few cases. CS severity did not affect NCT results, but severe CS were associated with symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), fatigue (FSS), reduced quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and higher prevalence of psychiatric illnesses. These findings support the importance of NCT, BI, and neuro-psychological assessment in the work-up of PC patients reporting CS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number and date of registration: DRKS00030974, 22 Dec 2022, retrospectively registered.},
}

@article {pmid38738103,
year = {2024},
author = {Irie, Y and Wakabayashi, H and Matuzawa, Y and Hiruta, N and Kaneko, K},
title = {A Case of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome With Anti-Glycyl tRNA Synthetases Antibody Developed After COVID-19.},
journal = {Cureus},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e58004},
pmid = {38738103},
issn = {2168-8184},
abstract = {Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a life-threatening respiratory disease characterized by severe acute infection. In some cases, COVID-19 symptoms may persist for a long term, posing a significant social problem. Long-term COVID-19 symptoms resemble those observed in various autoimmune diseases, such as dermatomyositis and polymyositis. In this report, we present the case of a 55-year-old woman who had been experiencing persistent dyspnea on exertion since contracting COVID-19 a month ago and was subsequently diagnosed with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS). The patient presented with fever, dyspnea, rash, mechanic's hands, and arthritis. Computed tomography imaging revealed findings indicative of interstitial pneumonia. Immunological test results were positive for anti-EJ antibody, leading to a diagnosis of ASS based on Solomon's established criteria. The patient's condition improved following treatment with prednisolone, tacrolimus, and intravenous cyclophosphamide. Pathological findings of transbronchial biopsy revealed nonspecific interstitial pneumonia with organizing pneumonia, leading to speculation that ASS had developed after COVID-19. Given the scarcity of reports on ASS development post COVID-19, we conducted a literature review and compared our present case to previous ones. This report highlights the importance of considering ASS in the differential diagnosis of patients with long-term COVID-19 symptoms.},
}

@article {pmid38737442,
year = {2024},
author = {Zhao, X and Wang, D and Chen, Y and Zhang, N and Li, T and Fan, R and Yang, L and Yang, C and Yang, J},
title = {Factors influencing cardiovascular system-related post-COVID-19 sequelae: A single-center cohort study.},
journal = {Open medicine (Warsaw, Poland)},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {20240950},
pmid = {38737442},
issn = {2391-5463},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: COVID-19 sequelae are long-term symptoms of COVID-19. Cardiovascular disease is not only a risk factor for the occurrence of COVID-19 sequelae but also a potential result directly or indirectly caused by COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the cardiovascular system-related symptoms of outpatients and inpatients of the Cardiovascular Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine after recovery from novel coronavirus infection, analyze the influencing factors, and symptom characteristics of related symptoms, and thereby provide a basis for further formulating a reasonable diagnosis and treatment plan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 15, 2023 to February 15, 2023, 452 recovered patients with novel coronavirus infection who were admitted to the Cardiovascular Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine due to symptoms of the cardiovascular system (complaints of chest pain and palpitations) were involved in this study. A unified questionnaire was used to record the general information, past medical history, characteristics of chest pain or palpitations, and other COVID-19-related sequelae of the selected patients. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 26.0 statistical software.

RESULTS: A total of 226 patients with cardiovascular symptoms and 226 patients without cardiovascular symptoms were included in this study. After univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, women (OR 2.081, 95% CI = 1.358-3.189) and young people (OR 2.557, 95% CI = 1.44-4.54) had a higher risk of cardiovascular symptoms; prehypertension (OR 1.905, 95% CI = 1.091-3.329) and hypertension (OR 2.287, 95% CI = 1.433-3.649) increased the risk of cardiovascular symptoms; patients with history of previous cardiovascular disease (OR 1.862, 95% CI = 1.16-2.988) and history of diabetes (OR 2.138, 95% CI = 1.058-4.319) had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular symptoms. The main symptoms related to COVID-19 sequelae reported by all 452 patients were fatigue (76.8%), shortness of breath (54.2%), dry mouth and bitter mouth (46.0%), gastrointestinal symptoms (42.7%), sleep disturbances (37.4%), sweating (31.9%), chills (29%), dizziness (25.7%), confusion of brain fog (25.2%), and tinnitus (14.6%). Compared with patients without cardiovascular symptoms, patients with cardiovascular symptoms were more likely to have shortness of breath (OR 3.521, 95% CI = 2.226-5.472), gastrointestinal symptoms (OR 2.039, 95% CI = 1.226-3.393), and dry mouth and bitter mouth (OR 1.918, 95% CI = 1.229-2.992). The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: In this new coronavirus infection, women, young people, the elderly, people with prehypertension, hypertension, and patients with a history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular symptoms, and patients with cardiovascular symptoms are more likely to develop other COVID-19 sequelae.},
}

@article {pmid38737315,
year = {2024},
author = {Wodecka, L and Koulouglioti, C and Gonçalves, AC and Hill, A and Hodgson, L},
title = {Exploring the recovery journey of COVID-19 critical care survivors during the first year after hospital discharge.},
journal = {Journal of the Intensive Care Society},
volume = {25},
number = {2},
pages = {181-189},
pmid = {38737315},
issn = {1751-1437},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To explore the longitudinal recovery of patients admitted to critical care following COVID-19 over the year following hospital discharge. To understand the important aspects of the patients' recovery process and key elements of their caregivers' experiences during this time.

DESIGN: A longitudinal qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.

SETTING: Two acute hospitals in South East England and follow-up in the community.

PARTICIPANTS: Six COVID-19 critical care survivors from the first wave of the pandemic (March-May 2020) and five relatives were interviewed 3 months after hospital discharge. The same six survivors and one relative were interviewed again at 1 year. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, anonymised and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: Three themes were developed: (1) 'The cycle of guilt, fear and stigma'; (2) 'Facing the uncertainties of recovery' and (3) 'Coping with lingering symptoms - the new norm'. The first theme highlights survivors' reluctance to share their experiences associated with contracting the disease. The second theme, explores challenges faced by the survivors and their relatives in navigating the recovery process, given the unknown nature of the illness. The final theme illustrates the mechanisms survivors develop to come to terms with the remnants of their illness and critical care stay.

CONCLUSIONS: The longitudinal nature of the study highlighted the persisting symptoms of long COVID-19, their impact on survivors and coping methods amidst the ongoing pandemic. Further research into the experiences of those affected in the first and subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, is desirable to help guide the formulation of the optimally supported recovery pathways.},
}

@article {pmid38736712,
year = {2024},
author = {Møller, M and Abelsen, T and Sørensen, AIV and Andersson, M and Hansen, LF and Dilling-Hansen, C and Kirkby, N and Vedsted, P and Mølbak, K and Koch, A},
title = {Exploring the dynamics of COVID-19 in a Greenlandic cohort: Mild acute illness and moderate risk of long COVID.},
journal = {IJID regions},
volume = {11},
number = {},
pages = {100366},
pmid = {38736712},
issn = {2772-7076},
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore how the Greenlandic population experienced the course of both acute and long-term COVID-19. It was motivated by the unique epidemiologic situation in Greenland, with delayed community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 relative to the rest of the world.

METHODS: In a survey among 310 Greenlandic adults, we assessed the association between previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and overall health outcomes by administering three repeated questionnaires over 12 months after infection, with a response rate of 41% at the 12-month follow-up. The study included 128 individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from January/February 2022 and 182 test-negative controls. Participants were recruited through personal approaches, phone calls, and social media platforms.

RESULTS: A total of 53.7% of 162 participants who were test-positive recovered within 4 weeks and 2.5% were hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2. The most common symptoms were fatigue and signs of mild upper respiratory tract infection. Less than 5% reported sick leave above 2 weeks after infection. Compared with participants who were test-negative, there was an increased risk of reporting fatigue (risk differences 25.4%, 95% confidence interval 8.8-44.0) and mental exhaustion (risk differences 23.4%, 95% confidence interval 4.8-42.2) up to 12 months after a positive test.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that during a period dominated by the Omicron variant, Greenlanders experienced a mild acute course of COVID-19, with quick recovery, minimizing the impact on sick leave. Long COVID may be present in Greenlanders, with symptoms persisting up to 12 months after infection. However, it is important to consider the small sample size and modest response rate as limitations when interpreting the results.},
}

@article {pmid38735864,
year = {2024},
author = {Burton-Fisher, W and Gordon, K},
title = {Holding the hope? Therapist and client perspectives on long COVID recovery: A Q-methodology.},
journal = {British journal of health psychology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/bjhp.12724},
pmid = {38735864},
issn = {2044-8287},
abstract = {PURPOSE: Long COVID is a global health concern which has debilitating effects on the individual experiencing it. In the United Kingdom, psychological therapies are being offered to people with long COVID, although the evidence for these therapies is yet to be demonstrated. This research aimed to understand how therapists and clients define and understand recovery from long COVID, and use hope theory to interpret the results.

METHODS: An online Q-methodology was employed, where participants sorted a range of statements pertaining to long COVID recovery based on their level of agreement with them. These arranged statements (Q-sorts) were collated and factor analysed to explore and compare underlying perspectives.

RESULTS: Sixteen participants were recruited for the study, including eleven clients, four IAPT therapists and one therapist working in the broader long COVID pathway. A four-factor model is reported, including (1) Psychological Pathways to Recovery, (2) Social Context and Agency, (3) Physiological Goals of Recovery and (4) Personal Meaning Making. All IAPT therapists loaded onto the psychological pathways factor, whereas the remaining participants shared more diverse perspectives.

CONCLUSIONS: The belief that long COVID recovery was possible, taken as an indicator of hopefulness, was rated highest for Factor 1, Psychological Pathways to Recovery, and Factor 3, Physiological Recovery Goals. This suggested that having a clear definition of recovery, or clear guidance on how to intervene, promoted hopefulness and, theoretically, well-being. However, clients reported experiences of being invalidated and disbelieved by health professionals, with psychological explanations sometimes being experienced as dismissive and invalidating. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.},
}

@article {pmid38735404,
year = {2024},
author = {Foret-Bruno, P and Shafran, R and Stephenson, T and Nugawela, MD and Chan, D and Ladhani, S and McOwat, K and Mensah, A and Simmons, R and Fox Smith, L and D'oelsnitz, A and Xu, L and Dalrymple, E and Heyman, I and Ford, T and Segal, T and Chalder, T and Rojas, N and Pinto Pereira, SM},
title = {Prevalence and co-occurrence of cognitive impairment in children and young people up to 12-months post infection with SARS-CoV-2 (Omicron variant).},
journal = {Brain, behavior, and immunity},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.bbi.2024.05.001},
pmid = {38735404},
issn = {1090-2139},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is often reported after SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet evidence gaps remain. We aimed to (i) report the prevalence and characteristics of children and young people (CYP) reporting "brain fog" (i.e., cognitive impairment) 12-months post PCR-proven SARS-CoV-2 infection and determine whether differences by infection status exist and (ii) explore the prevalence of CYP experiencing cognitive impairment over a 12-month period post-infection and investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and sleep problems.

METHODS: The Omicron CLoCk sub-study, set up in January 2022, collected data on first-time PCR-test-positive and PCR-proven reinfected CYP at time of testing and at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing. We describe the prevalence of cognitive impairment at 12-months, indicating when it was first reported. We characterise CYP experiencing cognitive impairment and use chi-squared tests to determine whether cognitive impairment prevalence varied by infection status. We explore the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and trouble sleeping using validated scales. We examine associations at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing by infection status using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests.

RESULTS: At 12-months post-testing, 7.0 % (24/345) of first-positives and 7.5 % (27/360) of reinfected CYP experienced cognitive impairment with no difference between infection-status groups (p = 0.78). The majority of these CYP experienced cognitive impairment for the first time at either time of testing or 3-months post-test (no difference between the infection-status groups; p = 0.60). 70.8 % of first-positives experiencing cognitive impairment at 12-months, were 15-to-17-years-old as were 33.3 % of reinfected CYP experiencing cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). Consistently at all time points post-testing, CYP experiencing cognitive impairment were more likely to score higher on all Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales, higher on the Chalder Fatigue sub-scale for mental fatigue, lower on the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and report more trouble sleeping.

CONCLUSIONS: CYP have a fluctuating experience of cognitive impairment by 12-months post SARS-CoV-2-infection. Cognitive impairment is consistently correlated with poorer sleep, behavioural and emotional functioning over a 12-month period. Clinicians should be aware of cognitive impairment post-infection and its co-occurring nature with poorer sleep, behavioural and mental health symptoms.},
}

@article {pmid38735354,
year = {2024},
author = {Krumholz, HM and Sawano, M and Bhattacharjee, B and Caraballo, C and Khera, R and Li, SX and Herrin, J and Coppi, A and Holub, J and Henriquez, Y and Johnson, MA and Goddard, TB and Rocco, E and Hummel, AC and Mouslmani, MA and Putrino, DF and Carr, KD and Carvajal-Gonzalez, S and Charnas, L and De Jesus, M and Ziegler, FW and Iwasaki, A},
title = {The PAX LC Trial: A Decentralized, Phase 2, Randomized, Double-blind Study of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Compared with Placebo/Ritonavir for Long COVID.},
journal = {The American journal of medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.030},
pmid = {38735354},
issn = {1555-7162},
abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Individuals with long COVID lack evidence-based treatments and have difficulty participating in traditional site-based trials. Our digital, decentralized trial investigates the efficacy and safety of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, targeting viral persistence as a potential cause of long COVID.

METHODS: The PAX LC trial (NCT05668091) is a Phase 2, 1:1 randomized, double-blind, superiority, placebo-controlled trial in 100 community-dwelling, highly symptomatic adult participants with long COVID residing in the 48 contiguous US states to determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of 15 days of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir compared with placebo/ritonavir. Participants are recruited via patient groups, cultural ambassadors, and social media platforms. Medical records are reviewed through a platform facilitating participant-mediated data acquisition from electronic health records nationwide. During the drug treatment, participants complete daily digital diaries using a web-based application. Blood draws for eligibility and safety assessments are conducted at or near participants' homes. The study drug is shipped directly to participants' homes. The primary endpoint is the PROMIS-29 Physical Health Summary Score difference between baseline and Day 28, evaluated by a mixed model repeated measure analysis. Secondary endpoints include PROMIS-29 (Mental Health Summary Score and all items), Modified GSQ-30 with supplemental symptoms questionnaire, COVID Core Outcome Measures for Recovery, EQ-5D-5L (Utility Score and all items), PGIS 1 and 2, PGIC 1 and 2, and healthcare utilization. The trial incorporates immunophenotyping to identify long COVID biomarkers and treatment responders.

CONCLUSION: The PAX LC trial uses a novel decentralized design and a participant-centric approach to test a 15-day regimen of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38735020,
year = {2024},
author = {Yang, C and Tan, Y and Li, Z and Hu, L and Chen, Y and Zhu, S and Hu, J and Huai, T and Li, M and Zhang, G and Rao, D and Fei, G and Shao, M and Ding, Z},
title = {Pulmonary redox imbalance drives early fibroproliferative response in moderate/severe coronavirus disease-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome and impacts long-term lung abnormalities.},
journal = {Annals of intensive care},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {72},
pmid = {38735020},
issn = {2110-5820},
support = {KJ2021A0306//Anhui Provincial Department of Education/ ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: COVID-19-associated pulmonary fibrosis remains frequent. This study aimed to investigate pulmonary redox balance in COVID-19 ARDS patients and possible relationship with pulmonary fibrosis and long-term lung abnormalities.

METHODS: Baseline data, chest CT fibrosis scores, N-terminal peptide of alveolar collagen III (NT-PCP-III), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were first collected and compared between SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive patients with moderate to severe ARDS (n = 65, COVID-19 ARDS) and SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative non-ARDS patients requiring mechanical ventilation (n = 63, non-ARDS). Then, correlations between fibroproliferative (NT-PCP-III and TGF-β1) and redox markers were analyzed within COVID-19 ARDS group, and comparisons between survivor and non-survivor subgroups were performed. Finally, follow-up of COVID-19 ARDS survivors was performed to analyze the relationship between pulmonary abnormalities, fibroproliferative and redox markers 3 months after discharge.

RESULTS: Compared with non-ARDS group, COVID-19 ARDS group had significantly elevated chest CT fibrosis scores (p < 0.001) and NT-PCP-III (p < 0.001), TGF-β1 (p < 0.001), GSSG (p < 0.001), and MDA (p < 0.001) concentrations on admission, while decreased SOD (p < 0.001) and GSH (p < 0.001) levels were observed in BALF. Both NT-PCP-III and TGF-β1 in BALF from COVID-19 ARDS group were directly correlated with GSSG (p < 0.001) and MDA (p < 0.001) and were inversely correlated with SOD (p < 0.001) and GSH (p < 0.001). Within COVID-19 ARDS group, non-survivors (n = 28) showed significant pulmonary fibroproliferation (p < 0.001) with more severe redox imbalance (p < 0.001) than survivors (n = 37). Furthermore, according to data from COVID-19 ARDS survivor follow-up (n = 37), radiographic residual pulmonary fibrosis and lung function impairment improved 3 months after discharge compared with discharge (p < 0.001) and were associated with early pulmonary fibroproliferation and redox imbalance (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary redox imbalance occurring early in COVID-19 ARDS patients drives fibroproliferative response and increases the risk of death. Long-term lung abnormalities post-COVID-19 are associated with early pulmonary fibroproliferation and redox imbalance.},
}

@article {pmid38732609,
year = {2024},
author = {Atieh, O and Durieux, JC and Baissary, J and Mouchati, C and Labbato, D and Thomas, A and Merheb, A and Ailstock, K and Funderburg, N and McComsey, GA},
title = {The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Body Composition.},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {16},
number = {9},
pages = {},
pmid = {38732609},
issn = {2072-6643},
support = {UM1TR004528//Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/complications/epidemiology ; Female ; Male ; *Body Composition ; Adult ; Prospective Studies ; *Absorptiometry, Photon ; Middle Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The effect of COVID-19 infection versus the indirect effect of the pandemic on body composition remains unclear. This study investigates the long-term changes in body composition in COVID-19 survivors compared to a contemporary control group.

METHOD: This is a prospective study involving adults who underwent a pre-pandemic whole-body DXA scan (DXA#1) between 2017 and 2019. Participants were asked to return for a repeat whole-body DXA scan (DXA#2) after the pandemic. Detailed data were collected including their medical and COVID-19 history. Inflammation markers and fasting lipids were measured. For those participants who experienced a COVID-19 infection between the two DXAs, DXA#2 was acquired at least one year after COVID-19 infection.

RESULTS: Overall, 160 adults were enrolled; 32.5% females, 51.8% non-white, with mean age of 43.2 years. Half (n = 80) of the participants experienced a COVID-19 infection between their two DXA scans (COVID-19+ group), and the other half had never had COVID-19. COVID-19-negative participants displayed an increase in annualized trunk fat (g) [922.5 vs. 159.7; p = 0.01], total fat (g) [1564.3 vs. 199.9; p = 0.2], and LBM (g) [974.9 vs. -64.5; p = 0.0002] when compared to the COVID-19+ group. However, among the COVID-19+ group, no differences were seen in annualized trunk fat, total fat mass, or LBM between those with PASC and without (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, both the COVID-19 survivors and the COVID-19-negative group exhibited increases in weight, total fat, and trunk fat, likely associated with pandemic-linked lifestyle modifications. However, only COVID-19 survivors displayed a decline in lean body mass over the same period, regardless of PASC symptoms.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/complications/epidemiology
Female
Male
*Body Composition
Adult
Prospective Studies
*Absorptiometry, Photon
Middle Aged
*SARS-CoV-2

@article {pmid38732592,
year = {2024},
author = {Sinopoli, A and Sciurti, A and Isonne, C and Santoro, MM and Baccolini, V},
title = {The Efficacy of Multivitamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D Supplements in the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 and Long-COVID: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.},
journal = {Nutrients},
volume = {16},
number = {9},
pages = {},
pmid = {38732592},
issn = {2072-6643},
mesh = {Humans ; *Dietary Supplements ; *COVID-19/prevention & control/mortality ; *Vitamins/therapeutic use ; *Vitamin D/therapeutic use/administration & dosage ; *Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; *Ascorbic Acid/therapeutic use/administration & dosage ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; *Vitamin A/therapeutic use/administration & dosage ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; Vitamin B Complex/therapeutic use ; },
abstract = {This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of any vitamin administration(s) in preventing and managing COVID-19 and/or long-COVID. Databases were searched up to May 2023 to identify randomized clinical trials comparing data on the effects of vitamin supplementation(s) versus placebo or standard of care on the two conditions of interest. Inverse-variance random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality between supplemented and non-supplemented individuals. Overall, 37 articles were included: two regarded COVID-19 and long-COVID prevention and 35 records the COVID-19 management. The effects of vitamin D in preventing COVID-19 and long-COVID were contrasting. Similarly, no conclusion could be drawn on the efficacy of multivitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin B in COVID-19 management. A few positive findings were reported in some vitamin C trials but results were inconsistent in most outcomes, excluding all-cause mortality (RR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72-0.97). Vitamin D results were mixed in most aspects, including mortality, in which benefits were observed in regular administrations only (RR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49-0.91). Despite some benefits, results were mostly contradictory. Variety in recruitment and treatment protocols might explain this heterogeneity. Better-designed studies are needed to clarify these vitamins' potential effects against SARS-CoV-2.},
}

Humans
*Dietary Supplements
*COVID-19/prevention & control/mortality
*Vitamins/therapeutic use
*Vitamin D/therapeutic use/administration & dosage
*Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
*Ascorbic Acid/therapeutic use/administration & dosage
*SARS-CoV-2
*Vitamin A/therapeutic use/administration & dosage
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Vitamin B Complex/therapeutic use

@article {pmid38732160,
year = {2024},
author = {Riou, M and Coste, F and Meyer, A and Enache, I and Talha, S and Charloux, A and Reboul, C and Geny, B},
title = {Mechanisms of Pulmonary Vasculopathy in Acute and Long-Term COVID-19: A Review.},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
volume = {25},
number = {9},
pages = {},
pmid = {38732160},
issn = {1422-0067},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/complications/virology/pathology ; *SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity ; Lung/blood supply/pathology/virology ; Pulmonary Embolism/virology/etiology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/etiology/physiopathology/virology/pathology ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Thrombosis/virology/etiology/pathology ; },
abstract = {Despite the end of the pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a major public health concern. The first waves of the virus led to a better understanding of its pathogenesis, highlighting the fact that there is a specific pulmonary vascular disorder. Indeed, COVID-19 may predispose patients to thrombotic disease in both venous and arterial circulation, and many cases of severe acute pulmonary embolism have been reported. The demonstrated presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the endothelial cells suggests that direct viral effects, in addition to indirect effects of perivascular inflammation and coagulopathy, may contribute to pulmonary vasculopathy in COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the pathological mechanisms leading to pulmonary vascular damage during acute infection, which appear to be mainly related to thromboembolic events, an impaired coagulation cascade, micro- and macrovascular thrombosis, endotheliitis and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. As many patients develop post-COVID symptoms, including dyspnea, we also discuss the hypothesis of pulmonary vascular damage and pulmonary hypertension as a sequela of the infection, which may be involved in the pathophysiology of long COVID.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/complications/virology/pathology
*SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity
Lung/blood supply/pathology/virology
Pulmonary Embolism/virology/etiology
Hypertension, Pulmonary/etiology/physiopathology/virology/pathology
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Thrombosis/virology/etiology/pathology

@article {pmid38730998,
year = {2024},
author = {Moustafa, IM and Ahbouch, A and Kader, RP and Shousha, TM and Alrahoomi, A},
title = {A Comparison of Sensorimotor Integration and Motor Fitness Components between Collegiate Athletes with and without Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study with Pair-Matched Controls.},
journal = {Journal of clinical medicine},
volume = {13},
number = {9},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/jcm13092469},
pmid = {38730998},
issn = {2077-0383},
support = {2201050573//University of Sharjah/ ; },
abstract = {Background: Long COVID presents a concern for collegiate athletes, potentially impacting sensorimotor processing and motor fitness. This study aimed to assess these effects. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 60 athletes diagnosed with Long COVID and 60 controls. Sensorimotor processing and integration were evaluated using neurophysiological variables (N13, P14, N20, P27, and N30), while motor fitness was assessed through balance, agility, and vertical jump testing. T-tests compared groups, and Pearson's correlations explored relationships. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed in neurophysiological variables and motor fitness between Long COVID and control groups. Fatigue correlated positively (p < 0.001) with neurophysiological variables in Long COVID cases but not with motor fitness (p = 0.08, p = 0.07, p = 0.09). Conclusions: Collegiate athletes with Long COVID exhibit abnormal sensorimotor processing, integration, and diminished motor fitness compared to uninfected peers. The fatigue severity of Long COVID correlates with neurophysiological changes, suggesting a link between sensorimotor deficits and fatigue. Targeted interventions for sensorimotor deficits and fatigue management are crucial for athletes recovering from Long COVID. This study underscores the importance of addressing these issues to optimize the recovery and performance of collegiate athletes affected by Long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38729647,
year = {2024},
author = {O'Connor, RJ and Parkin, A and Mir, G and Mullard, J and Baley, S and Ceolta-Smith, J and Rayner, C},
title = {Work and vocational rehabilitation for people living with long covid.},
journal = {BMJ (Clinical research ed.)},
volume = {385},
number = {},
pages = {e076508},
doi = {10.1136/bmj-2023-076508},
pmid = {38729647},
issn = {1756-1833},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/rehabilitation ; *Rehabilitation, Vocational/methods ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Return to Work ; Pandemics ; },
}

Humans
*COVID-19/rehabilitation
*Rehabilitation, Vocational/methods
*SARS-CoV-2
Return to Work
Pandemics

@article {pmid38729195,
year = {2024},
author = {Knuppel, A and Boyd, A and Macleod, J and Chaturvedi, N and Williams, DM},
title = {The long COVID evidence gap in England.},
journal = {Lancet (London, England)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00744-X},
pmid = {38729195},
issn = {1474-547X},
}

@article {pmid38728912,
year = {2024},
author = {Argento, F and Donato, M and Villalba, D and Sarubbio, MG and Giménez, A and Ciapponi, A and Augustovski, F},
title = {Mortalidad, Secuelas Clínicas y Calidad de Vida Luego del Alta de Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos en Pacientes con COVID-19: Estudio Multicéntrico Descriptivo en Argentina.},
journal = {Value in health regional issues},
volume = {42},
number = {},
pages = {100989},
doi = {10.1016/j.vhri.2024.100989},
pmid = {38728912},
issn = {2212-1102},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization in an intensive care unit, in addition to being at risk of presenting premature death, have higher rates of complications. This study aimed to describe mortality, rehospitalizations, quality of life, and symptoms related to postintensive care syndrome (PICS) and prolonged COVID-19 in patients with COVID-19 discharged from the intensive care unit in hospitals in Argentina.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 4 centers in the Autonomous City and province of Buenos Aires as of December 2022. The variables of interest were mortality after discharge, rehospitalization, health-related quality of life, post-COVID-19-related symptoms, cognitive status, and PICS. Data collection was by telephone interview between 6 and 18 months after discharge.

RESULTS: A total of 124 patients/families were contacted. Mortality was 7.3% (95% CI: 3.87-13.22) at 14.46 months of follow-up after discharge. Patients reported a reduction of the EQ-5D-3L visual analog scale of 13.8 points, reaching a mean of 78.05 (95% CI: 73.7-82.4) at the time of the interview. Notably, 54.4% of patients (95% CI: 41.5-66.6) reported cognitive impairment and 66.7% (95% CI: 53.7-77.5) developed PICS, whereas 37.5% (95% CI: 26-50.9) had no symptoms of prolonged COVID-19.

CONCLUSION: The results showed a significant impact on the outcomes studied, consistent with international evidence.},
}

@article {pmid38727085,
year = {2024},
author = {Wu, JY and Chen, CC and Liu, MY and Hsu, WH and Tsai, YW and Liu, TH and Pin-Chien, S and Huang, PY and Chuang, MH and Lee, MC and Hung, KC and Yu, T and Lai, CC},
title = {Clinical effectiveness of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir on the short- and long-term outcome in high-risk children with COVID-19.},
journal = {Journal of medical virology},
volume = {96},
number = {5},
pages = {e29662},
doi = {10.1002/jmv.29662},
pmid = {38727085},
issn = {1096-9071},
mesh = {Humans ; *Ritonavir/therapeutic use ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; *COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; Adolescent ; Treatment Outcome ; *COVID-19/mortality ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; },
abstract = {This study investigated the clinical effectiveness of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (NMV-r) on short-term outcome and the risk of postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC) among pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX research network to identify pediatric patients between 12 and 18 years with COVID-19 between January 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to match patients receiving NMV-r (NMV-r group) with those who did not receive NMV-r (control group). Two cohorts comprising 633 patients each (NMV-r and control groups), with balanced baseline characteristics, were identified using the PSM method. During the initial 30 days, the NMV-r group showed a lower incidence of all-cause hospitalization, mortality, or ED visits (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.546, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.372-0.799, p = 0.002). Additionally, the NMV-r group had a significantly lower risk of all-cause hospitalization compared with the control group (HR = 0.463, 95% CI: 0.269-0.798), with no deaths occurring in either group. In the 30-180-day follow-up period, the NMV-r group exhibited a non-significantly lower incidence of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), encompassing symptoms such as fatigue, cardiopulmonary symptoms, pain, cognitive impairments, headache, dizziness, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression, compared to the control group. This study underscores the potential effectiveness of NMV-r in treating high-risk pediatric patients with COVID-19, demonstrating significant reductions in short-term adverse outcomes such as emergency department visits, hospitalization, or mortality within the initial 30-day period. Additionally, NMV-r shows promise in potentially preventing the development of PASC.},
}

Humans
*Ritonavir/therapeutic use
Male
Female
Child
Retrospective Studies
*COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Adolescent
Treatment Outcome
*COVID-19/mortality
Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data
SARS-CoV-2
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
Drug Therapy, Combination
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

@article {pmid38724221,
year = {2024},
author = {Smith, A and Greenwood, D and Horton, M and Osborne, T and Goodwin, M and Lawrence, RR and Winch, D and Williams, P and Milne, R and , and Sivan, M},
title = {Psychometric analysis of the modified COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRSm) in a prospective multicentre study.},
journal = {BMJ open respiratory research},
volume = {11},
number = {1},
pages = {},
pmid = {38724221},
issn = {2052-4439},
mesh = {Humans ; *Psychometrics ; *COVID-19/psychology ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Aged ; *Patient Reported Outcome Measures ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Severity of Illness Index ; Adult ; Quality of Life ; United Kingdom ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Long COVID (LC) is a novel multisystem clinical syndrome affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The modified COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRSm) is a condition-specific patient-reported outcome measure designed for assessment and monitoring of people with LC.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the C19-YRSm in a prospective sample of people with LC.

METHODS: 1314 patients attending 10 UK specialist LC clinics completed C19-YRSm and EuroQol 5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) longitudinally. Scale characteristics were derived for C19-YRSm subscales (Symptom Severity (SS), Functional Disability (FD) and Overall Health (OH)) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Convergent validity was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue Scale. Known groups validity was assessed for the Other Symptoms subscale as tertiles, as well as by hospitalisation and intensive care admission. Responsiveness and test-retest reliability was evaluated for C19-YRSm subscales and EQ-5D-5L. The minimal important difference (MID) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were estimated. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to determine the instrument's two-factor structure.

RESULTS: C19-YRSm demonstrated good scale characteristic properties. Item-total correlations were between 0.37 and 0.65 (for SS and FD), with good internal reliability (Cronbach's alphas>0.8). Item correlations between subscales ranged between 0.46 and 0.72. Convergent validity with FACIT was good (-0.46 to -0.62). The three subscales discriminated between different levels of symptom burden (p<0.001) and between patients admitted to hospital and intensive care. There was moderate responsiveness for the three subscales ranging from 0.22 (OH) to 0.50 (SS) which was greater than for the EQ-5D-5L. Test-retest reliability was good for both SS 0.86 and FD 0.78. MID was 2 for SS, 2 for FD and 1 for OH; MCID was 4 for both the SS and FD. The factor analysis supported the two-factor SS and FD structure.

CONCLUSIONS: The C19-YRSm is a condition-specific, reliable, valid and responsive patient-reported outcome measure for LC.},
}

Humans
*Psychometrics
*COVID-19/psychology
Male
Female
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Reproducibility of Results
Aged
*Patient Reported Outcome Measures
*SARS-CoV-2
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Severity of Illness Index
Adult
Quality of Life
United Kingdom

@article {pmid38724010,
year = {2024},
author = {Wu, W and Zheng, X and Ding, H and Miao, T and Zang, Y and Shen, S and Gao, Y},
title = {Association between combination COVID-19-influenza vaccination and long COVID in middle-aged and older Europeans: A cross-sectional study.},
journal = {Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics},
volume = {20},
number = {1},
pages = {2345505},
pmid = {38724010},
issn = {2164-554X},
mesh = {Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; *COVID-19/prevention & control/epidemiology ; Europe/epidemiology ; Aged ; *Influenza, Human/prevention & control/epidemiology ; *Vaccination/statistics & numerical data ; *COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage ; SARS-CoV-2/immunology ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Aged, 80 and over ; European People ; },
abstract = {The potential impact of combined COVID-19 and influenza vaccination on long COVID remains uncertain. In the present cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the plausible association between them in middle-aged and older Europeans based on the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). A total of 1910 participants were recruited in the analyses. The study outcome was long COVID. Participants were divided into 4 groups through the self-reported status of COVID-19 and influenza vaccination. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. 1397 participants experienced long COVID. After multivariable adjustment, those vaccinated with neither COVID-19 nor influenza vaccine had higher risk of long COVID (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.26-2.35) compared to those vaccinated with both vaccines. Furthermore, adding the 4 statuses of COVID-19 vaccination/influenza vaccination to conventional risk model improved risk reclassification for long COVID (continuous net reclassification improvement was 16.26% [p = .003], and integrated discrimination improvement was 0.51% [p = .005]). No heterogeneity was found in the subgroup analyses (all p-interaction ≥0.05). Our study might provide a strategy for people aged 50 and over to reduce the occurrence of long COVID, that is, to combine the use of the COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccines.},
}

Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
*Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage
Male
Female
Middle Aged
*COVID-19/prevention & control/epidemiology
Europe/epidemiology
Aged
*Influenza, Human/prevention & control/epidemiology
*Vaccination/statistics & numerical data
*COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage
SARS-CoV-2/immunology
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Aged, 80 and over
European People

@article {pmid38723183,
year = {2024},
author = {Falco, P and Litewczuk, D and Di Stefano, G and Galosi, E and Leone, C and De Stefano, G and Di Pietro, G and Tramontana, L and Ciardi, MR and Pasculli, P and Zingaropoli, MA and Arendt-Nielsen, L and Truini, A},
title = {Small fibre neuropathy frequently underlies the painful long-COVID syndrome.},
journal = {Pain},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003259},
pmid = {38723183},
issn = {1872-6623},
abstract = {Approximately 10% to 20% of individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection may develop long-COVID syndrome, characterized by various physical and mental health issues, including pain. Previous studies suggested an association between small fibre neuropathy and pain in long-COVID cases. In this case-control study, our aim was to identify small fibre neuropathy in patients experiencing painful long-COVID syndrome. Clinical data, quantitative sensory testing, and skin biopsies were collected from 26 selected patients with painful long-COVID syndrome. We also examined 100 individuals with past COVID-19 infection, selecting 33 patients with painless long-COVID syndrome, characterized mainly by symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue, and 30 asymptomatic post-COVID-19 controls. Demographic and clinical variables were compared among these groups. Among the 26 patients with painful long-COVID syndrome, 12 had skin biopsy and/or quantitative sensory testing abnormalities compatible with small fibre neuropathy. Demographic and clinical data did not differ across patients with small fibre neuropathy, patients with painless long-COVID syndrome, and asymptomatic post-COVID-19 controls. This case-control study showed that approximately 50% of patients experiencing painful long-COVID syndrome had small fibre neuropathy. However, in our patient cohort, this specific post-COVID-19 complication was unrelated to demographic and COVID-19 clinical variables. Approximately half of our sample of patients with painful long-COVID symptoms met diagnostic criteria for small fibre neuropathy.},
}

@article {pmid38722111,
year = {2024},
author = {Daungsupawong, H and Wiwanitkit, V},
title = {Response to: Photobiomodulation in the Treatment of Dysgeusia in Patients with Long COVID: Comment.},
journal = {Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1089/pho.2024.0040},
pmid = {38722111},
issn = {2578-5478},
}

@article {pmid38719316,
year = {2024},
author = {Sugawara, N and Tabuchi, T and Tokumitsu, K and Yasui-Furukori, N},
title = {Predictors of somatic symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national longitudinal survey in Japan.},
journal = {BMJ open},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {e082439},
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082439},
pmid = {38719316},
issn = {2044-6055},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; Japan/epidemiology ; Male ; Female ; Longitudinal Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; *Medically Unexplained Symptoms ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Pandemics ; Young Adult ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, termed long COVID. However, in the absence of comparative groups, the differentiation of disease progression remains difficult, as COVID-19 symptoms become indistinguishable from symptoms originating from alternative etiologies. This study aimed to longitudinally investigate the association between COVID-19 exposure and the somatic symptoms in the Japanese general population.

DESIGN: This was a longitudinal cohort study with 1-year follow-up.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Longitudinal data from 19 545 individuals who participated in the Japan Society and New Tobacco Internet Survey (JASTIS) 2022 and 2023 were included. In this study, we used data from the 2022 JASTIS as baseline data and the 2023 JASTIS as follow-up data. Based on questionnaire responses, respondents were classified into three categories of exposure to COVID-19.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The somatic symptoms were assessed by the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8). Using generalised linear models adjusted for baseline covariates, we calculated the ORs of having very high somatic symptoms assessed by SSS-8, attributable to COVID-19 exposure (no COVID-19 cases as the reference group).

RESULTS: Follow-up completers were divided into three groups according to COVID-19 exposure (no COVID-19, n=16 012; COVID-19 without O2 therapy, n=3201; COVID-19 with O2 therapy, n=332). After adjusting for all covariates, COVID-19 cases with O2 therapy had a significant positive association (OR 7.60, 95% CI 5.47 to 10.58) with a very high somatic symptoms burden while other COVID-19 exposure groups did not. Pre-existing physical and psychological conditions were also associated with increased risk of somatic symptoms.

CONCLUSION: The findings of our study suggest that the severity of COVID-19 symptoms requiring O2 therapy in the acute phase led to high somatic symptoms. Pre-existing conditions were also associated with a subsequent risk of somatic symptoms.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology
Japan/epidemiology
Male
Female
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Adult
*Medically Unexplained Symptoms
SARS-CoV-2
Aged
Surveys and Questionnaires
Pandemics
Young Adult

@article {pmid38718276,
year = {2024},
author = {Newlands, F and Lewis, C and d'Oelsnitz, A and Pinto Pereira, SM and Stephenson, T and Chalder, T and Coughtrey, A and Dalrymple, E and Heyman, I and Harnden, A and Ford, T and Ladhani, SN and Powell, C and McOwat, K and Bhopal, R and Dudley, J and Kolasinska, P and Muhid, MZ and Nugawela, M and Rojas, NK and Shittu, A and Simmons, R and Shafran, R},
title = {"People don't have the answers": A qualitative exploration of the experiences of young people with Long COVID.},
journal = {Clinical child psychology and psychiatry},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {13591045241252463},
doi = {10.1177/13591045241252463},
pmid = {38718276},
issn = {1461-7021},
abstract = {Young people living with Long COVID are learning to navigate life with a constellation of poorly understood symptoms. Most qualitative studies on experiences living with Long COVID focus on adult populations. This study aimed to understand the experiences of young people living with Long COVID. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted (n = 16); 11 young people (aged 13-19) and five parents were recruited from the Children and Young People with Long COVID (CLoCk) study (n = 11) or its patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group (n = 5). Thematic analysis generated four themes: (i) Unravelling Long COVID: Exploring Symptom Journeys and Diagnostic Dilemmas; (ii) Identity Disruption and Adjustment; (iii) Long COVID's Ripple Effect: the impact on Mental Health, Connections, and Education; and (iv) Navigating Long COVID: barriers to support and accessing services. Treatment options were perceived as not widely available or ineffective, emphasising the need for viable and accessible interventions for young people living with Long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38716313,
year = {2024},
author = {Yu, S and Xu, J and Yu, C and Zhang, X and Cheng, Y and Lin, D and Yan, C and Guo, M and Li, J and He, P and Cheng, W},
title = {Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 colonization and high expression of inflammatory factors in cardiac tissue 6 months after COVID-19 recovery: a prospective cohort study.},
journal = {Cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {251-263},
pmid = {38716313},
issn = {2223-3652},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in myocardial autopsy tissues has been observed in certain individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the duration of cardiac involvement remains uncertain among recovered COVID-19 patients. Our study aims to evaluate the long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 within cardiac tissue.

METHODS: We prospectively and consecutively evaluated the patients undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR) and left atrial (LA) volume reduction surgery from May 25 to June 10, 2023 at our center, who had been approximately 6 months of recovery after Omicron wave. Patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 upon admission were excluded. The surgical LA tissue was collected in RNA preservation solution and stored at -80 ℃ immediately. Then SARS-CoV-2, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) RNA expression in LA tissues were assessed through thrice-repeated reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses. Categorical variables were assessed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, and continuous variables was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS: Nine of 41 patients were enrolled, all of whom tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 upon admission (two antigen and PCR tests). In four of nine patients, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in their LA tissue, indicating viral colonization. Among the four positive cases, the IL-6 and IL-1β relative expression levels in the LA tissue of one patient were increased approximately 55- and 110-fold, respectively, compared to those of SARS-CoV-2 (-) patients. Increased expression of IL-6 and IL-1β were observed in the myocardium of this patient. Another patient demonstrated a remarkable 7-fold increase in both IL-6 and IL-1β expression, surpassing that of SARS-CoV-2 (-) patients. Additionally, no other cardiac inflammation-related diseases or conditions were presented in these two patients. The IL-6 and IL-1β expression levels of the remaining two patients were not significantly different from those of SARS-CoV-2 (-) patients. The relative expression levels of IL-6 and IL-1β in cardiac tissues of all SARS-CoV-2 (-) patients were relatively low. Interestingly, despite abnormally elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-1β within their cardiac tissue, two patients did not show a significant increase in serum IL-6 and IL-1β levels when compared to other patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that certain COVID-19-recovered patients have persistent colonization of SARS-CoV-2 in their cardiac tissue, accompanied by a local increase in inflammatory factors.},
}

@article {pmid38715715,
year = {2024},
author = {Mishra, SS and Pedersini, CA and Misra, R and Gandhi, TK and Rokers, B and Biswal, BB},
title = {Tracts in the limbic system show microstructural alterations post COVID-19 recovery.},
journal = {Brain communications},
volume = {6},
number = {3},
pages = {fcae139},
pmid = {38715715},
issn = {2632-1297},
abstract = {Delirium, memory loss, attention deficit and fatigue are frequently reported by COVID survivors, yet the neurological pathways underlying these symptoms are not well understood. To study the possible mechanisms for these long-term sequelae after COVID-19 recovery, we investigated the microstructural properties of white matter in Indian cohorts of COVID-recovered patients and healthy controls. For the cross-sectional study presented here, we recruited 44 COVID-recovered patients and 29 healthy controls in New Delhi, India. Using deterministic whole-brain tractography on the acquired diffusion MRI scans, we traced 20 white matter tracts and compared fractional anisotropy, axial, mean and radial diffusivity between the cohorts. Our results revealed statistically significant differences (PFWE < 0.01) in the uncinate fasciculus, cingulum cingulate, cingulum hippocampus and arcuate fasciculus in COVID survivors, suggesting the presence of microstructural abnormalities. Additionally, in a subsequent subgroup analysis based on infection severity (healthy control, non-hospitalized patients and hospitalized patients), we observed a correlation between tract diffusion measures and COVID-19 infection severity. Although there were significant differences between healthy controls and infected groups, we found no significant differences between hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID patients. Notably, the identified tracts are part of the limbic system and orbitofrontal cortex, indicating microstructural differences in neural circuits associated with memory and emotion. The observed white matter alterations in the limbic system resonate strongly with the functional deficits reported in Long COVID. Overall, our study provides additional evidence that damage to the limbic system could be a neuroimaging signature of Long COVID. The findings identify targets for follow-up studies investigating the long-term physiological and psychological impact of COVID-19.},
}

@article {pmid38715353,
year = {2024},
author = {Morais, GD and Appelt, PA and Neto, EM and Bazan, R and Cabral, AM and Andrade, AO and Luvizutto, GJ and Sande de Souza, LAP},
title = {Nonlinear EEG Analysis During Motor and Cognitive Tasks in Patients With Long COVID: A Dynamic Systems Approach.},
journal = {Clinical EEG and neuroscience},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {15500594241252484},
doi = {10.1177/15500594241252484},
pmid = {38715353},
issn = {2169-5202},
abstract = {Introduction. Nonlinear EEG provides information about dynamic properties of the brain. This study aimed to compare nonlinear EEG parameters estimated from patients with Long COVID in different cognitive and motor tasks. Materials and Methods. This 12-month prospective cohort study included 83 patients with Long COVID: 53 symptomatic and 30 asymptomatic. Brain electrical activity was evaluated by EEG in 4 situations: (1) at rest, (2) during the Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A), (3) during the TMT Part B (TMT-B), and (4) during a coordination task: the Box and Blocks Test (BBT). Nonlinear EEG parameters were estimated in the time domain (activity and complexity). Assessments were made at 0 to 3, 3 to 6, and 6 to 12 months after inclusion. Results. There was a decrease in activity and complexity during the TMT-A and TMT-B, and an increase of these parameters during the BBT in both groups. There was an increase in activity at rest and during the TMT-A in the COVID-19 group at 0 to 3 months compared to the control, an increase in activity in the TMT-B in the COVID-19 group at 3 to 6 months compared to the control, and reduced activity and complexity at rest and during the TMT-A at 6 to 12 months compared to the control. Conclusion. The tasks followed a pattern of increased activity and complexity in cognitive tasks, which decreased during the coordination task. It was also observed that an increase in activity at rest and during cognitive tasks in the early stages, and reduced activity and complexity at rest and during cognitive tasks in the late phases of Long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38713816,
year = {2024},
author = {Baldi, F and De Rose, C and Mariani, F and Morello, R and Raffaelli, F and Valentini, P and Buonsenso, D},
title = {Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Children With Long COVID: A Case-controlled Study.},
journal = {The Pediatric infectious disease journal},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1097/INF.0000000000004371},
pmid = {38713816},
issn = {1532-0987},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a noninvasive and nonexpensive diagnostic tool, that provides a comprehensive evaluation of the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and skeletal muscle systems' integrated reactions to exercise. CPET has been extensively used in adults with Long COVID (LC), while the evidence about its role in children with this condition is scarce.

METHODS: Prospective, case-controlled observational study. Children with LC and a control group of healthy children underwent CPET. CPET findings were compared within the 2 groups, and within the LC groups according to main clusters of persisting symptoms.

RESULTS: Sixty-one children with LC and 29 healthy controls were included. Overall, 90.2% of LC patients (55 of 61) had a pathologic test vs 10.3% (3/29) of the healthy control. Children with LC presented a statistically significant higher probability of having abnormal values of peak VO2 (P = 0.001), AT% pred (P <0.001), VO2/HR % (P = 0.03), VO2 work slope (P = 0.002), VE/VCO2 slope (P = 0.01). The mean VO2 peak was 30.17 (±6.85) in LC and 34.37 (±6.55) in healthy patients (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with healthy controls, children with LC have objective impaired functional capacity (expressed by a low VO2 peak), signs of deconditioning and cardiogenic inefficiency when assessed with CPET. As such, CPET should be routinely used in clinical practice to objectify and phenotype the functional limitations of children with LC, and to follow-up them.},
}

@article {pmid38713673,
year = {2024},
author = {Gross, RS and Thaweethai, T and Rosenzweig, EB and Chan, J and Chibnik, LB and Cicek, MS and Elliott, AJ and Flaherman, VJ and Foulkes, AS and Gage Witvliet, M and Gallagher, R and Gennaro, ML and Jernigan, TL and Karlson, EW and Katz, SD and Kinser, PA and Kleinman, LC and Lamendola-Essel, MF and Milner, JD and Mohandas, S and Mudumbi, PC and Newburger, JW and Rhee, KE and Salisbury, AL and Snowden, JN and Stein, CR and Stockwell, MS and Tantisira, KG and Thomason, ME and Truong, DT and Warburton, D and Wood, JC and Ahmed, S and Akerlundh, A and Alshawabkeh, AN and Anderson, BR and Aschner, JL and Atz, AM and Aupperle, RL and Baker, FC and Balaraman, V and Banerjee, D and Barch, DM and Baskin-Sommers, A and Bhuiyan, S and Bind, MC and Bogie, AL and Bradford, T and Buchbinder, NC and Bueler, E and Bükülmez, H and Casey, BJ and Chang, L and Chrisant, M and Clark, DB and Clifton, RG and Clouser, KN and Cottrell, L and Cowan, K and D'Sa, V and Dapretto, M and Dasgupta, S and Dehority, W and Dionne, A and Dummer, KB and Elias, MD and Esquenazi-Karonika, S and Evans, DN and Faustino, EVS and Fiks, AG and Forsha, D and Foxe, JJ and Friedman, NP and Fry, G and Gaur, S and Gee, DG and Gray, KM and Handler, S and Harahsheh, AS and Hasbani, K and Heath, AC and Hebson, C and Heitzeg, MM and Hester, CM and Hill, S and Hobart-Porter, L and Hong, TKF and Horowitz, CR and Hsia, DS and Huentelman, M and Hummel, KD and Irby, K and Jacobus, J and Jacoby, VL and Jone, PN and Kaelber, DC and Kasmarcak, TJ and Kluko, MJ and Kosut, JS and Laird, AR and Landeo-Gutierrez, J and Lang, SM and Larson, CL and Lim, PPC and Lisdahl, KM and McCrindle, BW and McCulloh, RJ and McHugh, K and Mendelsohn, AL and Metz, TD and Miller, J and Mitchell, EC and Morgan, LM and Müller-Oehring, EM and Nahin, ER and Neale, MC and Ness-Cochinwala, M and Nolan, SM and Oliveira, CR and Osakwe, O and Oster, ME and Payne, RM and Portman, MA and Raissy, H and Randall, IG and Rao, S and Reeder, HT and Rosas, JM and Russell, MW and Sabati, AA and Sanil, Y and Sato, AI and Schechter, MS and Selvarangan, R and Sexson Tejtel, SK and Shakti, D and Sharma, K and Squeglia, LM and Srivastava, S and Stevenson, MD and Szmuszkovicz, J and Talavera-Barber, MM and Teufel, RJ and Thacker, D and Trachtenberg, F and Udosen, MM and Warner, MR and Watson, SE and Werzberger, A and Weyer, JC and Wood, MJ and Yin, HS and Zempsky, WT and Zimmerman, E and Dreyer, BP and , },
title = {Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pediatric study protocol: Rationale, objectives and design.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {e0285635},
pmid = {38713673},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/virology ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Male ; Infant ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; Infant, Newborn ; Prospective Studies ; Research Design ; Cohort Studies ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; },
abstract = {IMPORTANCE: The prevalence, pathophysiology, and long-term outcomes of COVID-19 (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 [PASC] or "Long COVID") in children and young adults remain unknown. Studies must address the urgent need to define PASC, its mechanisms, and potential treatment targets in children and young adults.

OBSERVATIONS: We describe the protocol for the Pediatric Observational Cohort Study of the NIH's REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. RECOVER-Pediatrics is an observational meta-cohort study of caregiver-child pairs (birth through 17 years) and young adults (18 through 25 years), recruited from more than 100 sites across the US. This report focuses on two of four cohorts that comprise RECOVER-Pediatrics: 1) a de novo RECOVER prospective cohort of children and young adults with and without previous or current infection; and 2) an extant cohort derived from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (n = 10,000). The de novo cohort incorporates three tiers of data collection: 1) remote baseline assessments (Tier 1, n = 6000); 2) longitudinal follow-up for up to 4 years (Tier 2, n = 6000); and 3) a subset of participants, primarily the most severely affected by PASC, who will undergo deep phenotyping to explore PASC pathophysiology (Tier 3, n = 600). Youth enrolled in the ABCD study participate in Tier 1. The pediatric protocol was developed as a collaborative partnership of investigators, patients, researchers, clinicians, community partners, and federal partners, intentionally promoting inclusivity and diversity. The protocol is adaptive to facilitate responses to emerging science.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: RECOVER-Pediatrics seeks to characterize the clinical course, underlying mechanisms, and long-term effects of PASC from birth through 25 years old. RECOVER-Pediatrics is designed to elucidate the epidemiology, four-year clinical course, and sociodemographic correlates of pediatric PASC. The data and biosamples will allow examination of mechanistic hypotheses and biomarkers, thus providing insights into potential therapeutic interventions.

Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT05172011.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology/virology
Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Young Adult
Adult
Male
Infant
SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification
Infant, Newborn
Prospective Studies
Research Design
Cohort Studies
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

@article {pmid38713158,
year = {2024},
author = {Manglani, R and Fenster, M and Henson, T and Jain, A and Schluger, N},
title = {Clinical characteristics, imaging, and lung function among patients with persistent dyspnea of COVID-19: a retrospective observational cohort study.},
journal = {Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.4081/monaldi.2024.2733},
pmid = {38713158},
issn = {1122-0643},
abstract = {The available medical literature on lung function and corresponding clinical characteristics among symptomatic survivors of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (long COVID) is sparse. Primary physicians referred patients who manifested persistent dyspnea months after their index case of infection to a designated clinic. Patients underwent symptom-driven, quality-of-life, physical, and focused respiratory [pulmonary function tests and computed tomography (CT) of the chest] evaluations and were followed over time. In this paper, we present our findings. Patients with abnormal CT imaging were more likely to be of advanced age and to have been hospitalized during their COVID-19 infection. Forced exhaled volume in the first second, forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity, and diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide measurements were found to be significantly lower in patients with abnormal CT imaging. Multivariate regression of clinical characteristics uncovered a significant association between FVC, body mass index, history of hospitalization, and diabetes mellitus. In conclusion, longer-term studies will help further our understanding of the risk factors, disease course, and prognosis of long COVID patients.},
}

@article {pmid38712261,
year = {2024},
author = {Wentz, E and Ni, Z and Yenokyan, K and Vergara, C and Pahwa, J and Kammerling, T and Xiao, P and Duggal, P and Lau, B and Mehta, SH},
title = {Cohort profile: the Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study (JHCLS), a United States Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study.},
journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.04.25.24306387},
pmid = {38712261},
abstract = {PURPOSE: COVID-19 disease continues to affect millions of individuals worldwide, both in the short and long term. The post-acute complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection, referred to as long COVID, result in diverse symptoms affecting multiple organ systems. Little is known regarding how the symptoms associated with long COVID progress and resolve over time. The Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study aims to prospectively examine the short- and long-term consequences of COVID-19 disease in individuals both with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection using self-reported data collected in an online survey.

PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen thousand, seven hundred sixty-four adults with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 799 adults without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection who completed an online baseline survey.

FINDINGS TO DATE: This cohort profile describes the baseline characteristics of the Johns Hopkins COVID Long Study. Among 16,764 participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and defined long COVID status, 75% reported a good or excellent health status prior to infection, 99% reported experiencing at least one COVID-19 symptom during the acute phase of infection, 9.9% reported a hospitalization, and 63% were defined as having long COVID using the WHO definition.

FUTURE PLANS: Analysis of longitudinal data will be used to investigate the progression and resolution of long COVID symptoms over time.},
}

@article {pmid38711990,
year = {2024},
author = {Zifko, U and Guendling, K and Seet, R and Kasper, S},
title = {Management of cognitive impairment associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome: recommendations for primary care.},
journal = {Frontiers in pharmacology},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {1338235},
pmid = {38711990},
issn = {1663-9812},
abstract = {Introduction: Although post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) with cognitive impairment is increasingly encountered in primary care, evidence-based recommendations for its appropriate management are lacking. Methods: A systematic literature search evaluating the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment associated with PCS was conducted. Practical recommendations for the management of PCS-associated cognitive impairment in primary care are summarized, based on an evaluation of pharmacological plausibility and clinical applications. Results: Currently, the pathology of cognitive impairment associated with PCS remains unclear with no high-quality data to support targeted interventions. Existing treatment approaches are directed towards symptom relief where counseling on the chronicity of the disease and regular reassessments at 4- to 8-week intervals is considered reasonable. Patients should be informed and encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle that centers around balanced nutrition and appropriate physical activities. They may also benefit from the intake of vitamins, micronutrients, and probiotics. The administration of Ginkgo biloba extract could offer a safe and potentially beneficial treatment option. Other non-pharmacological measures include physiotherapy, digitally supported cognitive training, and, if indicated, ergotherapy or speech therapy. In most patients, symptoms improve within 8 weeks. If serious, ambiguous, or when new symptoms occur, specialized diagnostic measures such as comprehensive neurocognitive testing or neuroimaging should be initiated. Very few patients would require inpatient rehabilitation. Conclusion: PCS with cognitive impairment is a debilitating condition that could affect daily functioning and reduce work productivity. Management in primary care should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, centering around physical, cognitive, and pharmacological therapies.},
}

@article {pmid38710760,
year = {2024},
author = {Gietl, M and Burkert, F and Hofer, S and Gostner, JM and Sonnweber, T and Tancevski, I and Pizzini, A and Sahanic, S and Schroll, A and Brigo, N and Egger, A and Bellmann-Weiler, R and Löffler-Ragg, J and Weiss, G and Kurz, K},
title = {Laboratory parameters related to disease severity and physical performance after reconvalescence of acute COVID-19 infection.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {10388},
pmid = {38710760},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; GZ 75759//TYROLEAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/blood/complications/diagnosis ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Severity of Illness Index ; *Biomarkers/blood ; *SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; Aged ; Adult ; Physical Functional Performance ; Interleukin-6/blood ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism/analysis ; Inflammation ; Tryptophan/blood/metabolism ; Neopterin/blood ; Phenylalanine/blood/metabolism ; Amino Acids/blood ; },
abstract = {Research into the molecular basis of disease trajectory and Long-COVID is important to get insights toward underlying pathophysiological processes. The objective of this study was to investigate inflammation-mediated changes of metabolism in patients with acute COVID-19 infection and throughout a one-year follow up period. The study enrolled 34 patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection admitted to the University Clinic of Innsbruck in early 2020. The dynamics of multiple laboratory parameters (including inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), neopterin] as well as amino acids [tryptophan (Trp), phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr)], and parameters of iron and vitamin B metabolism) was related to disease severity and patients' physical performance. Also, symptom load during acute illness and at approximately 60 days (FU1), and one year after symptom onset (FU2) were monitored and related with changes of the investigated laboratory parameters: During acute infection many investigated laboratory parameters were elevated (e.g., inflammatory markers, ferritin, kynurenine, phenylalanine) and enhanced tryptophan catabolism and phenylalanine accumulation were found. At FU2 nearly all laboratory markers had declined back to reference ranges. However, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio (Kyn/Trp) and the phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio (Phe/Tyr) were still exceeding the 95th percentile of healthy controls in about two thirds of our cohort at FU2. Lower tryptophan concentrations were associated with B vitamin availability (during acute infection and at FU1), patients with lower vitamin B12 levels at FU1 had a prolonged and more severe impairment of their physical functioning ability. Patients who had fully recovered (ECOG 0) presented with higher concentrations of iron parameters (ferritin, hepcidin, transferrin) and amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine) at FU2 compared to patients with restricted ability to work. Persistent symptoms at FU2 were tendentially associated with IFN-γ related parameters. Women were affected by long-term symptoms more frequently. Conclusively, inflammation-mediated biochemical changes appear to be related to symptoms of patients with acute and Long Covid.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/blood/complications/diagnosis
Female
Male
Middle Aged
*Severity of Illness Index
*Biomarkers/blood
*SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification
Aged
Adult
Physical Functional Performance
Interleukin-6/blood
C-Reactive Protein/metabolism/analysis
Inflammation
Tryptophan/blood/metabolism
Neopterin/blood
Phenylalanine/blood/metabolism
Amino Acids/blood

@article {pmid38710681,
year = {2024},
author = {Naidu, AS and Wang, CK and Rao, P and Mancini, F and Clemens, RA and Wirakartakusumah, A and Chiu, HF and Yen, CH and Porretta, S and Mathai, I and Naidu, SAG},
title = {Author Correction: Precision nutrition to reset virus-induced human metabolic reprogramming and dysregulation (HMRD) in long-COVID.},
journal = {NPJ science of food},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {26},
doi = {10.1038/s41538-024-00267-w},
pmid = {38710681},
issn = {2396-8370},
}

@article {pmid38708693,
year = {2024},
author = {Sadat Larijani, M and Bavand, A and Banifazl, M and Ashrafian, F and Moradi, L and Ramezani, A},
title = {Determination of COVID-19 Late Disorders as Possible Long-COVID and/or Vaccination Consequences.},
journal = {Journal of primary care & community health},
volume = {15},
number = {},
pages = {21501319241251941},
doi = {10.1177/21501319241251941},
pmid = {38708693},
issn = {2150-1327},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/prevention & control/epidemiology ; Female ; Adult ; *COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects/administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Iran/epidemiology ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Vaccination/adverse effects/statistics & numerical data ; Immunization, Secondary ; },
abstract = {In this era in which the vast majority of the global population have developed COVID-19 infection and/or got vaccinated against it, identification of the late disorders as the vaccines' side effect or long-COVID manifestation seems essential. This study included the vaccinated individuals of 4 different vaccine regimens including inactivated virus-based, subunit protein, and adenovirus-based vaccines in a follow-up schedule 6-month post the booster shot. All the documented vaccine adverse events were thoroughly assessed considering the cases' medical history by Adverse Events Committee of Pasteur Institute of Iran. Totally 329 individuals who got 3 doses of vaccination were followed 6 months after the booster shots among whom 41 (12.4%) cases with the mean age of 40.9 ± 10.48 years had a type of disorder. Gynecological and osteoarticular involvements were the most common recorded disorders of which 73.1% were possibly linked to vaccination outcomes and the rest were affected by both long-COVID-19 and vaccination. Notably, the average time of symptoms persistence was 155 ± 10.4 days. This study has the advantage of long-term follow-up which presents various forms of late events in each episode of COVID-19 infection and vaccination. About 26.8% of people with persistent complications suffered from both long-COVOD/ vaccination in whom the differentiation between the vaccine side effect and long-COVID manifestation was quite challenging. Long-term follow-up studies in large population seems essential to outline the role of long-COVID and vaccination regarding persistent complications.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/prevention & control/epidemiology
Female
Adult
*COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects/administration & dosage
Male
Middle Aged
Iran/epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination/adverse effects/statistics & numerical data
Immunization, Secondary

@article {pmid38708532,
year = {2024},
author = {Rinnenburger, D},
title = {[Breathless, without strength, forgetful: Long Covid, the pandemic within the pandemic.].},
journal = {Recenti progressi in medicina},
volume = {115},
number = {5},
pages = {215-217},
doi = {10.1701/4262.42400},
pmid = {38708532},
issn = {2038-1840},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Pandemics ; Memory Disorders/etiology/epidemiology ; },
abstract = {Following the Covid-19 pandemic, a new disease has emerged: Long Covid syndrome, about which we know little and on which too little research is being done. It is a chronic disease, which is diagnosed when Covid symptoms last more than 12 weeks. To date, there is no pharmacological or other approach to Long Covid. The main symptoms of Long Covid are pain similar to those of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, headaches, concentration and memory disorders, sometimes also perceived as brain fog and fatigue. Research and education and sensible, bipartisan social policy, away from all ideologies, are needed to address this additional aspect of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Pandemics
Memory Disorders/etiology/epidemiology

@article {pmid38707697,
year = {2024},
author = {Yamamoto, K and Nakagawa, K and Otsuka, F},
title = {Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia detected after coronavirus disease 2019.},
journal = {Journal of general and family medicine},
volume = {25},
number = {3},
pages = {164-165},
pmid = {38707697},
issn = {2189-7948},
abstract = {We present a 23-year-old woman with depression and long COVID in whom a diagnosis of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) was made. Although the relationship between idiopathic VT and long COVID remains unknown, this is the first report of idiopathic VT detected in a patient with long COVID.},
}

@article {pmid38707018,
year = {2024},
author = {Shweikeh, F and Hong, G and Rabeeah, S and Shabir, U and Sofi, A},
title = {COVID-19 and Its Sequelae Masquerading as Gastrointestinal Ailments: A Report of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Review of Recent Cases.},
journal = {Cureus},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
pages = {e57617},
pmid = {38707018},
issn = {2168-8184},
abstract = {Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) predominantly causes respiratory symptoms. However, a rare segment of patients recovering from COVID-19 may develop gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. We describe a case of a female who presented with symptoms suggestive of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for 18 months following COVID-19 infection. Her symptoms included epigastric and chest pain, coughing, and vomiting. Upper endoscopy and 24-hour pH monitoring were negative. Following hospital admission due to worsening symptoms, she was diagnosed with chronic pulmonary embolism (PE) presumed to be related to COVID-19. Her reflux symptoms resolved within two days of the initiation of anticoagulation. Our findings suggest that chronic PE should be considered in patients presenting with GERD refractory to treatment following COVID-19 infection. Generally, as COVID-19 and its sequelae may masquerade as GI conditions, they should be on the differential diagnosis, especially in the post-pandemic era when routine testing has significantly declined.},
}

@article {pmid38704055,
year = {2024},
author = {Altmayer, S and Leung, AN and de Oliveira, GS and Prodigios, J and Patel, P and Mohammed, TL and Verma, N and Hochhegger, B},
title = {Chronic Chest CT Findings following COVID-19 pneumonia.},
journal = {Seminars in ultrasound, CT, and MR},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1053/j.sult.2024.02.008},
pmid = {38704055},
issn = {1558-5034},
abstract = {Respiratory symptoms are a frequent manifestation of patients with post-acute sequela of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), also known as long-COVID. Many cohorts of predominantly hospitalized patients have shown that a significant subset may have persistent chest CT findings for more than 12 months after the acute infection. Proper understanding of the evolving long-term imaging findings and terminology is crucial for accurate imaging interpretation and patient care. The goal of this article is to review the chronic chest CT findings of patients with PASC and common pitfalls.},
}

@article {pmid38700929,
year = {2024},
author = {Maripuri, M and Dey, A and Honerlaw, J and Hong, C and Ho, YL and Tanukonda, V and Chen, AW and Panickan, VA and Wang, X and Zhang, HG and Yang, D and Samayamuthu, MJ and Morris, M and Visweswaran, S and Beaulieu-Jones, B and Ramoni, R and Muralidhar, S and Gaziano, JM and Liao, K and Xia, Z and Brat, GA and Cai, T and Cho, K},
title = {Characterization of Post-COVID-19 Definitions and Clinical Coding Practices: Longitudinal Study.},
journal = {Online journal of public health informatics},
volume = {16},
number = {},
pages = {e53445},
doi = {10.2196/53445},
pmid = {38700929},
issn = {1947-2579},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Post-COVID-19 condition (colloquially known as "long COVID-19") characterized as postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 has no universal clinical case definition. Recent efforts have focused on understanding long COVID-19 symptoms, and electronic health record (EHR) data provide a unique resource for understanding this condition. The introduction of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code U09.9 for "Post COVID-19 condition, unspecified" to identify patients with long COVID-19 has provided a method of evaluating this condition in EHRs; however, the accuracy of this code is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize the utility and accuracy of the U09.9 code across 3 health care systems-the Veterans Health Administration, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-against patients identified with long COVID-19 via a chart review by operationalizing the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions.

METHODS: Patients who were COVID-19 positive with either a U07.1 ICD-10 code or positive polymerase chain reaction test within these health care systems were identified for chart review. Among this cohort, we sampled patients based on two approaches: (1) with a U09.9 code and (2) without a U09.9 code but with a new onset long COVID-19-related ICD-10 code, which allows us to assess the sensitivity of the U09.9 code. To operationalize the long COVID-19 definition based on health agency guidelines, symptoms were grouped into a "core" cluster of 11 commonly reported symptoms among patients with long COVID-19 and an extended cluster that captured all other symptoms by disease domain. Patients having ≥2 symptoms persisting for ≥60 days that were new onset after their COVID-19 infection, with ≥1 symptom in the core cluster, were labeled as having long COVID-19 per chart review. The code's performance was compared across 3 health care systems and across different time periods of the pandemic.

RESULTS: Overall, 900 patient charts were reviewed across 3 health care systems. The prevalence of long COVID-19 among the cohort with the U09.9 ICD-10 code based on the operationalized WHO definition was between 23.2% and 62.4% across these health care systems. We also evaluated a less stringent version of the WHO definition and the CDC definition and observed an increase in the prevalence of long COVID-19 at all 3 health care systems.

CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies to evaluate the U09.9 code against a clinical case definition for long COVID-19, as well as the first to apply this definition to EHR data using a chart review approach on a nationwide cohort across multiple health care systems. This chart review approach can be implemented at other EHR systems to further evaluate the utility and performance of the U09.9 code.},
}

@article {pmid38700879,
year = {2024},
author = {Cogliandro, V and Bonfanti, P},
title = {Long COVID: lights and shadows on the clinical characterization of this emerging pathology.},
journal = {The new microbiologica},
volume = {47},
number = {1},
pages = {15-27},
pmid = {38700879},
issn = {1121-7138},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/virology ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/virology ; Risk Factors ; Quality of Life ; Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/physiopathology ; },
abstract = {More than 800 million individuals have contracted SARSCOV2 infection worldwide. It was estimated that almost 10-20% of these might suffer from Long COVID. It is a multisystemic syndrome, which negatively affects the quality of life with a significant burden of health loss compared to COVID negative individuals. Moreover, the risk of sequelae still remains high at 2 years in both nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals. This review summarizes studies regarding long COVID and clarifies the definitions, the risk factors and the management of this syndrome. Finally, it delves into the most frequent long-term outcomes, especially postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome" (POTS), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), brain fog, and their therapeutical possibilities.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology/virology
*SARS-CoV-2
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/virology
Risk Factors
Quality of Life
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/physiopathology

@article {pmid38700658,
year = {2024},
author = {Degli Antoni, M and Maifredi, G and Storti, S and Tiecco, G and Di Gregorio, M and Rossi, B and Gasparotti, C and Focà, E and Castelli, F and Quiros-Roldan, E},
title = {Long-term symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cohort of people living with HIV.},
journal = {Infection},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38700658},
issn = {1439-0973},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Our Hospital in Northern Italy assists 3817 people living with HIV (PLWH) and has faced the impact of COVID-19. Little is known about the impact of HIV infection on the risk of post-COVID-19 conditions (PCCs) onset. We aim to assess the incidence of PCC in PLWH and the factors associated with its occurrence.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective, observational study including all PLWH > 18 years registered in the Brescia Health Protection Agency database, assessing SARS-CoV-2 burden, vaccination status, socio-demographic, and viro-immunological parameters from February 2020 until May 2022. Persistence of self-reported symptoms (clustered into gastrointestinal, respiratory, osteo-muscular, and neuro-behavioral symptoms) was evaluated after 3 months by a telephone-administered questionnaire. We estimated the associations between all variables and outcomes through univariate and multivariable logistic models.

RESULTS: In the study period, 653 PLWH were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection (17.1%). We observed 19 (2.9%) reinfections, 71 (10.9%) hospitalizations, and 3 (0.5%) deaths. We interviewed 510/653 PLWH (78%), and 178 (PCCs prevalence 34.9%; CI 95% 30.7-39.2) reported persistent symptoms. Asthenia/fatigue was the most reported symptom (60/178), followed by muscular pain (54/178). In the multivariate regression model, there was a lower risk of PCCs in males respect to females (adjusted OR = 0.64; CI 95% 0.99-3.66), while hospitalization during acute infection was associated with an increased the risk of PCCs (adjusted OR = 1.9; CI 95% 0.99-3.66). Notably, no viro-immunological variable modified the PCCs risk onset.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights a substantial prevalence of PCCs among PLWH, three months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, independent of viro-immunological features or vaccination status.},
}

@article {pmid37574270,
year = {2024},
author = {Abe, K and Sugiyama, A and Ito, N and Miwata, K and Kitahara, Y and Okimoto, M and Mirzaev, U and Kurisu, A and Akita, T and Ko, K and Takahashi, K and Kubo, T and Takafuta, T and Tanaka, J},
title = {Variant-specific Symptoms After COVID-19: A Hospital-based Study in Hiroshima.},
journal = {Journal of epidemiology},
volume = {34},
number = {5},
pages = {238-246},
pmid = {37574270},
issn = {1349-9092},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Japan/epidemiology ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Adult ; Cluster Analysis ; Risk Factors ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Symptoms after novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovery by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 strains are unspecified.

METHODS: This self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted to investigate symptoms after COVID-19 recovery at one of the main hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in Hiroshima, Japan, from September 2020 to March 2022 for patients who visited follow-up consultations after COVID-19. Study subjects were divided into four groups (Wild-type, Alpha, Delta, and Omicron periods) according to COVID-19 onset date. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to determine symptom clusters and investigate risk factors for each symptom cluster using multivariate analysis.

RESULTS: Among 385 patients who enrolled in this study, 249 patients had any persistent symptoms at a median of 23.5 (interquartile range, 20-31) days after COVID-19 onset. Among patients with any persistent symptoms, symptom clusters including olfactory or taste disorders, respiratory symptoms, and cardiac symptoms were found. Respiratory symptoms were more frequent among patients infected in the Omicron period compared to the Wild-type period (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-7.48). Compared to patients who recovered from mild COVID-19, patients who needed oxygen or ventilation support suffered fewer post-COVID-19 respiratory symptoms (AOR 0.46; 95% CI, 0.22-0.97) but more post-COVID-19 cardiac symptoms among them (AOR 2.67; 95% CI, 1.26-5.65). Olfactory or taste disorders were fewer among patients infected in the Omicron period compared to the Wild-type period (AOR 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04-0.46).

CONCLUSION: This study revealed that symptoms after COVID-19 may vary depending on the infected strain.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology
Male
Female
Middle Aged
Aged
Japan/epidemiology
*SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Adult
Cluster Analysis
Risk Factors

@article {pmid38700307,
year = {2023},
author = {Karuturi, S},
title = {Long COVID-19: A Systematic Review.},
journal = {The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India},
volume = {71},
number = {9},
pages = {82-94},
doi = {10.59556/japi.71.0337},
pmid = {38700307},
issn = {0004-5772},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; SARS-CoV-2 ; },
abstract = {Coronavirus disease 2019's (COVID-19's) wide dissemination casts long-term health jeopardy for millions. Long COVID-19, a lingering multisystem malady, weaves a complex array of symptoms. Understanding its full impact requires extensive research over months or years. The pace of recovery remains uncertain, challenging healthcare systems. An evidence-based symphony of medical care and support is urgently needed for long haulers. Understanding long COVID's genesis and advocating for patients is vital. Our comprehension remains limited, prompting a systematic scoping study to explore the existing knowledge and pave the way for future research, illuminating the enigma of "long COVID" and guiding the path towards understanding this relentless condition. How to cite this article: Karuturi S. Long COVID-19: A Systematic Review. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(9):82-94.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
SARS-CoV-2

@article {pmid38699316,
year = {2024},
author = {Azhir, A and Hügel, J and Tian, J and Cheng, J and Bassett, IV and Bell, DS and Bernstam, EV and Farhat, MR and Henderson, DW and Lau, ES and Morris, M and Semenov, YR and Triant, VA and Visweswaran, S and Strasser, ZH and Klann, JG and Murphy, SN and Estiri, H},
title = {Precision Phenotyping for Curating Research Cohorts of Patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) as a Diagnosis of Exclusion.},
journal = {medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1101/2024.04.13.24305771},
pmid = {38699316},
abstract = {Scalable identification of patients with the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is challenging due to a lack of reproducible precision phenotyping algorithms and the suboptimal accuracy, demographic biases, and underestimation of the PASC diagnosis code (ICD-10 U09.9). In a retrospective case-control study, we developed a precision phenotyping algorithm for identifying research cohorts of PASC patients, defined as a diagnosis of exclusion. We used longitudinal electronic health records (EHR) data from over 295 thousand patients from 14 hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The algorithm employs an attention mechanism to exclude sequelae that prior conditions can explain. We performed independent chart reviews to tune and validate our precision phenotyping algorithm. Our PASC phenotyping algorithm improves precision and prevalence estimation and reduces bias in identifying Long COVID patients compared to the U09.9 diagnosis code. Our algorithm identified a PASC research cohort of over 24 thousand patients (compared to about 6 thousand when using the U09.9 diagnosis code), with a 79.9 percent precision (compared to 77.8 percent from the U09.9 diagnosis code). Our estimated prevalence of PASC was 22.8 percent, which is close to the national estimates for the region. We also provide an in-depth analysis outlining the clinical attributes, encompassing identified lingering effects by organ, comorbidity profiles, and temporal differences in the risk of PASC. The PASC phenotyping method presented in this study boasts superior precision, accurately gauges the prevalence of PASC without underestimating it, and exhibits less bias in pinpointing Long COVID patients. The PASC cohort derived from our algorithm will serve as a springboard for delving into Long COVID's genetic, metabolomic, and clinical intricacies, surmounting the constraints of recent PASC cohort studies, which were hampered by their limited size and available outcome data.},
}

@article {pmid38697866,
year = {2024},
author = {Korapatti, C and Vera, L and Miller, K},
title = {Biosound Therapy as a treatment for long COVID patients: A pre-post pilot study.},
journal = {Explore (New York, N.Y.)},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.explore.2024.04.004},
pmid = {38697866},
issn = {1878-7541},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: 43 % of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 will experience persistent symptoms, also known as "long COVID," which lasts past the recovery of the acute infection. Long COVID symptoms overlap with symptoms that the Biosound Therapy System (BTS) has been shown to improve. The BTS is a multimodal treatment that includes biofeedback, vibroacoustic therapy synchronized with music that plays binaural beats, and video content. This study aimed to determine feasibility for a future full-scale Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and explore the impact of the BTS on long COVID symptoms.

METHODS: This pre-post pilot study was conducted in an outpatient mental health clinic. Adults aged 20-65 years old with persistent COVID-19 symptoms were screened and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention group was given 8 Biosound Therapy sessions during a period of 4 weeks. All participants were assessed at baseline and at post-intervention using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Cambridge Brain Sciences (CBS) tasks, and the COVID-19 Persistent Symptom Questionnaire. The feasibility outcomes were recruitment rates, retention rates, and open-ended questions about participants' experiences.

RESULTS: 15 participants enrolled in the study and 13 completed the study (9 intervention, 4 control). Trial recruitment ended prematurely due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Participants responded to open-ended questions with only positive remarks and made no comments on the study not being feasible. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that compared to baseline, participants in the intervention group had significant improvement in their GAD-7 score, PHQ9 score, 2 Cambridge Brain Science tasks ("Odd" and "Double Trouble"), fatigue, and difficulties in concentrating or remembering (p < 0.05; 95 % CI).

CONCLUSION: The intervention group showed promising improvement without reported side effects. A full-scale RCT is feasible as long as the recruitment setting is changed to a location that allows access to more patients with long COVID. Results were limited due to the small sample size; therefore, a full-scale trial is needed.},
}

@article {pmid38697594,
year = {2024},
author = {Chao, TC and Chiang, SL and Lai, CY and Huang, CY and Lee, MS and Lin, CH and Chang, CC and Lin, CH},
title = {Association between Physical Activity Amount and Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Sleep Quality, and Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Long COVID: A Cross-Sectional Study.},
journal = {Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1016/j.apmr.2024.04.010},
pmid = {38697594},
issn = {1532-821X},
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between physical activity (PA) amount and gender differences on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), sleep quality, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with long COVID.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING: An integrated outpatient clinic for post-COVID-19 at a medical center.

PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of patients (N=264) diagnosed with long COVID.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PA amounts, sleep quality, and HRQoL were measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life: Short Form, respectively. CRF was evaluated through graded exercise testing.

RESULTS: The participants had a mean age of 42.5±13.5 years and a mean duration of post-COVID-19 symptoms of 12.7±6.8 weeks. More than half (n=149, 56.5%) were female patients. Female participants had significantly lower CRF compared to male participants (P<.05). Older age and higher body mass index were associated with worse CRF and HRQoL (P<.05). Less sitting behavior and greater amounts of vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) or total PA were associated with better CRF (P<.05). In addition, greater total PA and moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) were associated with better sleep quality and HRQoL (P<.05), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Gender differences were found in CRF among patients with long COVID. Greater self-reported VPA or total PA was associated with better CRF, while greater total PA and MPA were associated with better sleep quality and HRQoL, respectively, in patients with long COVID. Further research is needed to explore these associations in longitudinal studies.},
}

@article {pmid38696415,
year = {2024},
author = {Hua, MJ and Butera, G and Akinyemi, O and Porterfield, D},
title = {Biases and limitations in observational studies of Long COVID prevalence and risk factors: A rapid systematic umbrella review.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {19},
number = {5},
pages = {e0302408},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0302408},
pmid = {38696415},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Prevalence ; *SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; *Observational Studies as Topic ; Bias ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Observational studies form the foundation of Long COVID knowledge, however combining data from Long COVID observational studies has multiple methodological challenges. This umbrella review synthesizes estimates of Long COVID prevalence and risk factors as well as biases and limitations in the primary and review literatures.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, LitCOVID) from Jan 1, 2019 until June 9, 2023. Eligible studies were systematic reviews including adult populations assessed for at least one Long COVID symptom four weeks or more after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall and subgroup prevalence and risk factors as well as risk of bias (ROB) assessments were extracted and descriptively analyzed. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023434323). Fourteen reviews of 5-196 primary studies were included: 8 reported on Long COVID prevalence, 5 on risk/protective factors, and 1 on both. Prevalence of at least 1 Long COVID symptom ranged from 21% (IQR: 8.9%-35%) to 74.5% (95% CI: 55.6%-78.0%). Risk factor reviews found significant associations between vaccination status, sex, acute COVID-19 severity, and comorbidities. Both prevalence and risk factor reviews frequently identified selection and ascertainment biases. Using the AMSTAR 2 criteria, the quality of included reviews, particularly the prevalence reviews, were concerning for the adequacy of ROB assessments and justifications for conducting meta-analysis.

CONCLUSION: A high level of heterogeneity render the interpretation of pooled prevalence estimates of Long COVID challenging, further hampered by the lack of robust critical appraisals in the included reviews. Risk factor reviews were of higher quality overall and suggested consistent associations between Long COVID risk and patient characteristics.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology
Risk Factors
Prevalence
*SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification
*Observational Studies as Topic
Bias
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

@article {pmid38695969,
year = {2024},
author = {Gorenshtein, A and Liba, T and Leibovitch, L and Stern, S and Stern, Y},
title = {Intervention modalities for brain fog caused by long-COVID: systematic review of the literature.},
journal = {Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38695969},
issn = {1590-3478},
abstract = {Individuals suffering from long-COVID can present with "brain fog", which is characterized by a range of cognitive impairments, such as confusion, short-term memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. To date, several potential interventions for brain fog have been considered. Notably, no systematic review has comprehensively discussed the impact of each intervention type on brain fog symptoms. We included studies on adult (aged > 18 years) individuals with proven long- COVID brain-fog symptoms from PubMed, MEDLINE, Central, Scopus, and Embase. A search limit was set for articles published between 01/2020 and 31/12/2023. We excluded studies lacking an objective assessment of brain fog symptoms and patients with preexisting neurological diseases that affected cognition before COVID-19 infection. This review provided relevant information from 17 studies. The rehabilitation studies utilized diverse approaches, leading to a range of outcomes in terms of the effectiveness of the interventions. Six studies described noninvasive brain stimulation, and all showed improvement in cognitive ability. Three studies described hyperbaric oxygen therapy, all of which showed improvements in cognitive assessment tests and brain perfusion. Two studies showed that the use of Palmitoylethanolamide and Luteolin (PEA-LUT) improved cognitive impairment. Noninvasive brain stimulation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy showed promising results in the treatment of brain fog symptoms caused by long-COVID, with improved perfusion and cortical excitability. Furthermore, both rehabilitation strategies and PEA-LUT administration have been associated with improvements in symptoms of brain fog. Future studies should explore combinations of interventions and include longer follow-up periods to assess the long-term effects of these treatments.},
}

@article {pmid38695877,
year = {2024},
author = {Finsterer, J},
title = {All available diagnostic and therapeutic options should be fully exploited in order to quickly identify and optimally treat neuropathic pain in long-COVID.},
journal = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38695877},
issn = {1433-8491},
}

@article {pmid38695461,
year = {2024},
author = {Batista, KBC and Fernandez, MV and Barberia, LG and Silva, ETD and Pedi, VD and Pontes, BMLM and Araujo, G and Moreira, RDS and Pedrosa, M and Verotti, MP and Henriques, CMP and Florêncio, AC and Amorim, MMR},
title = {[Overview of long COVID in Brazil: a preliminary analysis of a survey to think about health policies].},
journal = {Cadernos de saude publica},
volume = {40},
number = {4},
pages = {e00094623},
doi = {10.1590/0102-311XPT094623},
pmid = {38695461},
issn = {1678-4464},
mesh = {Humans ; Brazil/epidemiology ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/prevention & control ; Adult ; Female ; Male ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; *Health Policy ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Quality of Life ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Adolescent ; },
abstract = {Characterized by symptoms that remain or appear for the first time within three months of SARS-CoV-2 infection, long COVID can manifest itself in different ways, including in non-hospitalized or asymptomatic cases. Thus, this study offers an overview of long COVID in Brazil, especially of its diagnosis, symptoms, and challenges for new health management. Data from a study that investigated long COVID in people affected by COVID-19 were used. These original data stem from a survey with adult Brazilians (aged 18 years or older) who had COVID-19 that collected information from March 14 to April 14, 2022, by a questionnaire on social media. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic characteristics, history of COVID-19 infections, vaccination against the disease, investigation of health status and quality of life before and after COVID-19, and search and access to treatment. Of the 1,728 respondents, 720 were considered eligible for analysis, of which 496 (69%) had long COVID. Individuals with long COVID reported clinical manifestations such as anxiety (80%), memory loss (78%), generalized pain (77%), lack of attention (75%), fatigue (73%), hair loss (71%), sleep changes (70%), mood swings (62%), malaise (60%), and joint pain (59%). Most sought health services during and after the acute phase of COVID-19 (94 and 80%, respectively), representing the need to structure the healthcare system for these patients.},
}

Humans
Brazil/epidemiology
*COVID-19/epidemiology/prevention & control
Adult
Female
Male
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
*Health Policy
Middle Aged
Surveys and Questionnaires
SARS-CoV-2
Quality of Life
Young Adult
Aged
Socioeconomic Factors
Adolescent

@article {pmid38694270,
year = {2024},
author = {Xavier de Brito, AS and Bronchtein, AI and Schaustz, EB and Glavam, AP and Pinheiro, MVT and Secco, JCP and Camargo, GC and Almeida, SA and Quintella, TA and Albuquerque, DC and Luiz, RR and Medei, E and Souza, OF and Sales, ARK and Sousa, AS and Rosado-de-Castro, PH and Moll-Bernardes, RJ},
title = {Value of [123]I-MIBG SPECT for the assessment of dysautonomia in patients with long COVID.},
journal = {International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature},
volume = {52},
number = {},
pages = {101413},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijcha.2024.101413},
pmid = {38694270},
issn = {2352-9067},
}

@article {pmid38693641,
year = {2024},
author = {Apostolou, E and Rosén, A},
title = {Epigenetic reprograming in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A narrative of latent viruses.},
journal = {Journal of internal medicine},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/joim.13792},
pmid = {38693641},
issn = {1365-2796},
support = {4.3-2019-00201 GD-2020-138//Swedish Research Council/ ; 211832Pj01H2//Swedish Cancer Society/ ; },
abstract = {Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease presenting with severe fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and cognitive disturbances-among a spectrum of symptoms-that collectively render the patient housebound or bedbound. Epigenetic studies in ME/CFS collectively confirm alterations and/or malfunctions in cellular and organismal physiology associated with immune responses, cellular metabolism, cell death and proliferation, and neuronal and endothelial cell function. The sudden onset of ME/CFS follows a major stress factor that, in approximately 70% of cases, involves viral infection, and ME/CFS symptoms overlap with those of long COVID. Viruses primarily linked to ME/CFS pathology are the symbiotic herpesviruses, which follow a bivalent latent-lytic lifecycle. The complex interaction between viruses and hosts involves strategies from both sides: immune evasion and persistence by the viruses, and immune activation and viral clearance by the host. This dynamic interaction is imperative for herpesviruses that facilitate their persistence through epigenetic regulation of their own and the host genome. In the current article, we provide an overview of the epigenetic signatures demonstrated in ME/CFS and focus on the potential strategies that latent viruses-particularly Epstein-Barr virus-may employ in long-term epigenetic reprograming in ME/CFS. Epigenetic studies could aid in elucidating relevant biological pathways impacted in ME/CFS and reflect the physiological variations among the patients that stem from environmental triggers, including exogenous viruses and/or altered viral activity.},
}

@article {pmid38693436,
year = {2024},
author = {Văcăraş, V and Vulturar, R and Chiş, A and Damian, L},
title = {Inclusion body myositis, viral infections, and TDP-43: a narrative review.},
journal = {Clinical and experimental medicine},
volume = {24},
number = {1},
pages = {91},
pmid = {38693436},
issn = {1591-9528},
mesh = {*Myositis, Inclusion Body/virology ; Humans ; *Virus Diseases/immunology/virology ; *DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; },
abstract = {The ubiquitous RNA-processing molecule TDP-43 is involved in neuromuscular diseases such as inclusion body myositis, a late-onset acquired inflammatory myopathy. TDP-43 solubility and function are disrupted in certain viral infections. Certain viruses, high viremia, co-infections, reactivation of latent viruses, and post-acute expansion of cytotoxic T cells may all contribute to inclusion body myositis, mainly in an age-shaped immune landscape. The virally induced senescent, interferon gamma-producing cytotoxic CD8+ T cells with increased inflammatory, and cytotoxic features are involved in the occurrence of inclusion body myositis in most such cases, in a genetically predisposed host. We discuss the putative mechanisms linking inclusion body myositis, TDP-43, and viral infections untangling the links between viruses, interferon, and neuromuscular degeneration could shed a light on the pathogenesis of the inclusion body myositis and other TDP-43-related neuromuscular diseases, with possible therapeutic implications.},
}

*Myositis, Inclusion Body/virology
Humans
*Virus Diseases/immunology/virology
*DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism

@article {pmid38693285,
year = {2024},
author = {Pinto Pereira, SM and Nugawela, MD and Stephenson, T and Foret-Bruno, P and Dalrymple, E and Xu, L and Whittaker, E and Heyman, I and Ford, T and Segal, T and Chalder, T and Ladhani, SN and Mensah, AA and McOwat, K and Simmons, R and , and Shafran, R},
title = {Post-Covid-19 condition (Long Covid) in children and young people 12 months after infection or reinfection with the Omicron variant: a prospective observational study.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {9957},
pmid = {38693285},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/virology/complications/epidemiology ; Child ; *SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; *Reinfection/virology ; Prospective Studies ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; },
abstract = {Our previous study in children and young people (CYP) at 3- and 6-months post-infection showed that 12-16% of those infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2 met the research definition of Long Covid, with no differences between first-positive and reinfected CYP. The primary objective of the current study is to explore the impact of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 infection on young people 12 months post infection. 345 CYP aged 11-17 years with a first laboratory-confirmed infection with the Omicron variant and 360 CYP reinfected with the Omicron variant completed an online questionnaire assessing demographics, symptoms, and their impact shortly after testing and again at 3-, 6-and 12-months post-testing. Vaccination status was determined from information held at UKHSA. Comparisons between groups were made using chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The most common symptoms in first-positive and reinfected CYP 12-months post-testing were tiredness (35.7 and 33.6% respectively) and sleeping difficulties (27.5 and 28.3% respectively). Symptom profiles, severity and impact were similar in the two infection status groups. Overall, by 12-months, 17.4% of first-positives and 21.9% of reinfected CYP fulfilled the research consensus Long Covid definition (p = 0.13). 12-months post Omicron infection, there is little difference between first-positive and reinfected CYP with respect to symptom profiles and impact. Clinicians may not therefore need to consider number of infections and type of variant when developing treatment plans. Further studies are needed to assess causality of reported symptoms up to 12-months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/virology/complications/epidemiology
Child
*SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification
Adolescent
Male
Female
*Reinfection/virology
Prospective Studies
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

@article {pmid38692805,
year = {2024},
author = {Borczuk, AC},
title = {Pathology of COVID-19 Lung Disease.},
journal = {Surgical pathology clinics},
volume = {17},
number = {2},
pages = {203-214},
doi = {10.1016/j.path.2023.11.006},
pmid = {38692805},
issn = {1875-9157},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/pathology/complications ; *Lung/pathology ; *SARS-CoV-2 ; Lung Diseases/pathology ; },
abstract = {The pathology of severe COVID-19 lung injury is predominantly diffuse alveolar damage, with other reported patterns including acute fibrinous organizing pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, and bronchiolitis. Lung injury was caused by primary viral injury, exaggerated immune responses, and superinfection with bacteria and fungi. Although fatality rates have decreased from the early phases of the pandemic, persistent pulmonary dysfunction occurs and its pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/pathology/complications
*Lung/pathology
*SARS-CoV-2
Lung Diseases/pathology

@article {pmid38691776,
year = {2024},
author = {Kurakh, AV and Ahii, VI and Chopey, IV and Hechko, MM and Chubirko, KI},
title = {Characteristics of brain lesions found using MRI imaging in patients with post-COVID with signs of cognitive decline.},
journal = {Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)},
volume = {77},
number = {3},
pages = {383-386},
doi = {10.36740/WLek202403102},
pmid = {38691776},
issn = {0043-5147},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/complications/diagnostic imaging/psychology ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Male ; *Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnostic imaging/etiology ; Middle Aged ; *Brain/diagnostic imaging/pathology ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged ; Adult ; },
abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Aim: To describe and evaluate abnormalities of the brain in post-COVID patients with neurologic symptoms and cognitive deficits using MRI imaging of the brain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: We included 21 patients with a previous positive PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 and one or more of the following symptoms: memory and cognitive decline, dizziness, anxiety, depression, chronic headaches. All patients had MRI imaging done at onset of symptoms, but after at least 1 year after positive testing for COVID-19 based on the patient's previous medical history.

RESULTS: Results: All of the patients complained of lack of concentration, forgetfulness, hard to process information. 15 patients suffered from confusion, 10 from anxiety. Of the 21 patients 14 had isolated chronic headaches, 3 had isolated dizziness, 4 patients had both symptoms upon inclusion. All patients underwent MRI imaging as a part of the diagnostic workup and had varying degrees of neurodegeneration.

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Our data correlates with existing research and shows tendency for cognitive decline in post-COVID patients. This provides groundwork for further research to determine correlation between acceleration of neurodegeneration and post-COVID.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/complications/diagnostic imaging/psychology
*Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Female
Male
*Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnostic imaging/etiology
Middle Aged
*Brain/diagnostic imaging/pathology
SARS-CoV-2
Aged
Adult

@article {pmid38690892,
year = {2024},
author = {Bramante, CT and Beckman, KB and Mehta, T and Karger, AB and Odde, DJ and Tignanelli, CJ and Buse, JB and Johnson, DM and Watson, RHB and Daniel, JJ and Liebovitz, DM and Nicklas, JM and Cohen, K and Puskarich, MA and Belani, HK and Siegel, LK and Klatt, NR and Anderson, B and Hartman, KM and Rao, V and Hagen, AA and Patel, B and Fenno, SL and Avula, N and Reddy, NV and Erickson, SM and Fricton, RD and Lee, S and Griffiths, G and Pullen, MF and Thompson, JL and Sherwood, NE and Murray, TA and Rose, MR and Boulware, DR and Huling, JD and , },
title = {Favorable Antiviral Effect of Metformin on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Load in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Coronavirus Disease 2019.},
journal = {Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/cid/ciae159},
pmid = {38690892},
issn = {1537-6591},
support = {/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States ; K23 DK124654-01-A1/NH/NIH HHS/United States ; /DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States ; /HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; U54 CA210190/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; INV-017069/GATES/Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/United States ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Metformin has antiviral activity against RNA viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mechanism appears to be suppression of protein translation via targeting the host mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway. In the COVID-OUT randomized trial for outpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), metformin reduced the odds of hospitalizations/death through 28 days by 58%, of emergency department visits/hospitalizations/death through 14 days by 42%, and of long COVID through 10 months by 42%.

METHODS: COVID-OUT was a 2 × 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial that assessed metformin, fluvoxamine, and ivermectin; 999 participants self-collected anterior nasal swabs on day 1 (n = 945), day 5 (n = 871), and day 10 (n = 775). Viral load was quantified using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS: The mean SARS-CoV-2 viral load was reduced 3.6-fold with metformin relative to placebo (-0.56 log10 copies/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.05 to -.06; P = .027). Those who received metformin were less likely to have a detectable viral load than placebo at day 5 or day 10 (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% CI, .55 to .94). Viral rebound, defined as a higher viral load at day 10 than day 5, was less frequent with metformin (3.28%) than placebo (5.95%; OR, 0.68; 95% CI, .36 to 1.29). The metformin effect was consistent across subgroups and increased over time. Neither ivermectin nor fluvoxamine showed effect over placebo.

CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial of outpatient treatment of SARS-CoV-2, metformin significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 viral load, which may explain the clinical benefits in this trial. Metformin is pleiotropic with other actions that are relevant to COVID-19 pathophysiology.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04510194.},
}

@article {pmid38690504,
year = {2024},
author = {Amir-Kabirian, B and Annie, FH and Koontz, M and Ihle, R},
title = {Sinus Tachycardia Following COVID-19 and Its Implications.},
journal = {Cureus},
volume = {16},
number = {3},
pages = {e57320},
doi = {10.7759/cureus.57320},
pmid = {38690504},
issn = {2168-8184},
abstract = {Background Within the cardiovascular system, sinus tachycardia has been a noted finding in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome (symptoms persisting beyond 12 weeks post-infection). To better understand post-COVID-19 tachycardia, we examined the prevalence of sinus tachycardia 12-16 weeks after diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 infection and its correlation with intensive care utilization, ventilator use, and mortality in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Methods We identified adult patients in the TriNetX COVID-19 Research Network with confirmed SARS-COV-2 diagnosis from January 20th, 2020, to February 14th, 2022, and sinus tachycardia 12-16 weeks after diagnosis. Two cohorts were created: patients who developed tachycardia 12 weeks after initial diagnosis and patients without tachycardia. The tachycardia cohort was divided further based on vaccination status. Results Of 1,363,907 patients included, 30,705 (2.2%) developed tachycardia. The patients with tachycardia had more comorbidities. Using propensity score matching (PSM), two cohorts of 30,702 were created. The SARS-COV-2 tachycardic cohort had higher mortality (5.1% vs 2.1%, p<0.001), critical care utilization (5.8% vs 2.2%, p<0.001), and ventilator use (1.8% vs 0.5%, p<0.001). Out of 22,878 patients with persistent tachycardia and recorded vaccination status, 14,840 (65%) were not vaccinated. Mortality (5.9% vs 2.3%, p<0.001), critical care utilization (8.3% vs 3.6%, p<0.001), and ventilator use (3.8% vs 0.6%, p<0.001) were higher in the non-vaccinated patients compared with the vaccinated patients after PSM. Conclusion The prevalence of persistent tachycardia after SARS-COV-2 infection is notable at 2.2%. Patients with persistent tachycardia have higher mortality rates and demonstrate greater healthcare utilization at one year compared to patients without persistent tachycardia, particularly if unvaccinated.},
}

@article {pmid38690133,
year = {2024},
author = {Sun, K and Zhou, R and Xu, F and Lu, H and Asakawa, T},
title = {Proposal to apply a "Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA)" based approach to manage the COVID-19-related mental health problems in the era of long COVID.},
journal = {Global health & medicine},
volume = {6},
number = {2},
pages = {160-163},
doi = {10.35772/ghm.2023.01102},
pmid = {38690133},
issn = {2434-9194},
abstract = {Long COVID (LC)-related health problems are highly concerned. Many patients seem to have "recovered" from an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, however, they might experience various symptoms, almost involving all organs and systems. Of those, neuropsychiatric symptoms like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not rare. These problems significantly impact the quality of life (QOL) of patients, family, and caregivers, even lead a tragic suicide outcome. Other than the conventional psychological and medical approaches, here, we proposal a positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA)-based approach to fight against these COVID-19-related mental health problems (CRMHPs). This approach is characterized by positive psychological interventions and self-achievements, which has been proved to be a powerful tool against mood disorders in common people. Nowadays, abolishment of certain prophylactic measures (such as isolation, lockdown, compulsorily wearing a mask and maintaining social distance, measures to avoid crowding) enables us to have more opportunities to contact patients and implement the PERMA-based approach to the patients with CRMHPs. We believe that application of PERMA-based approach is conducive to alleviate the influence of the CRMHPs and improve their QOL.},
}

@article {pmid38689605,
year = {2024},
author = {Carlile, O and Briggs, A and Henderson, AD and Butler-Cole, BFC and Tazare, J and Tomlinson, LA and Marks, M and Jit, M and Lin, LY and Bates, C and Parry, J and Bacon, SCJ and Dillingham, I and Dennison, WA and Costello, RE and Walker, AJ and Hulme, W and Goldacre, B and Mehrkar, A and MacKenna, B and , and Herrett, E and Eggo, RM},
title = {Impact of long COVID on health-related quality-of-life: an OpenSAFELY population cohort study using patient-reported outcome measures (OpenPROMPT).},
journal = {The Lancet regional health. Europe},
volume = {40},
number = {},
pages = {100908},
doi = {10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100908},
pmid = {38689605},
issn = {2666-7762},
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Long COVID is a major problem affecting patient health, the health service, and the workforce. To optimise the design of future interventions against COVID-19, and to better plan and allocate health resources, it is critical to quantify the health and economic burden of this novel condition. We aimed to evaluate and estimate the differences in health impacts of long COVID across sociodemographic categories and quantify this in Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs), widely used measures across health systems.

METHODS: With the approval of NHS England, we utilised OpenPROMPT, a UK cohort study measuring the impact of long COVID on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). OpenPROMPT invited responses to Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) using a smartphone application and recruited between November 2022 and October 2023. We used the validated EuroQol EQ-5D questionnaire with the UK Value Set to develop disutility scores (1-utility) for respondents with and without Long COVID using linear mixed models, and we calculated subsequent Quality-Adjusted Life-Months (QALMs) for long COVID.

FINDINGS: The total OpenPROMPT cohort consisted of 7575 individuals who consented to data collection, with which we used data from 6070 participants who completed a baseline research questionnaire where 24.6% self-reported long COVID. In multivariable regressions, long COVID had a consistent impact on HRQoL, showing a higher likelihood or odds of reporting loss in quality-of-life (Odds Ratio (OR): 4.7, 95% CI: 3.72-5.93) compared with people who did not report long COVID. Reporting a disability was the largest predictor of losses of HRQoL (OR: 17.7, 95% CI: 10.37-30.33) across survey responses. Self-reported long COVID was associated with an 0.37 QALM loss.

INTERPRETATION: We found substantial impacts on quality-of-life due to long COVID, representing a major burden on patients and the health service. We highlight the need for continued support and research for long COVID, as HRQoL scores compared unfavourably to patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and renal disease.

FUNDING: This research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (OpenPROMPT: COV-LT2-0073).},
}

@article {pmid38688088,
year = {2024},
author = {Kaplan, K and Mendenhall, E},
title = {Framing Long Covid through Patient activism in the United States: Patient, Provider, Academic, and Policymaker Views.},
journal = {Social science & medicine (1982)},
volume = {350},
number = {},
pages = {116901},
doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116901},
pmid = {38688088},
issn = {1873-5347},
abstract = {In 2020, when COVID-19 patients first recognized their complex and progressive symptoms, patient activists defined "Long Covid" on social media. While patient support groups are by no means new, the predominance of online support groups and those leveraging the power of social media has become a defining characteristic of Long Covid. In this article, we argue that naming Long Covid served as a powerful conduit of legitimacy for patient activists in media, medicine, and policy. We conducted 57 in-depth qualitative interviews with patients (n = 22), clinicians (n = 20), and policy and academic experts (n = 15). We found naming was not a primary area of contention. In contrast, patients found pride and a sense of identity within the terms. Many clinicians struggled with diagnostics because Long Covid lacks clear biological tests, while patients were consistently disappointed by the lack of positive tests and clarity around their symptomatology. The heterogeneity of the Long Covid experience, as well as the diversity of symptoms, further provides opportunities for contestation and disbelief among clinicians and policymakers not only in diagnostics but also in disability rights. Thus, the power of patient activism has transformed how the condition is perceived among and between patients, clinicians, policymakers, and the media in unprecedented ways that will likely have longstanding impacts on how IACCs are viewed in medicine and the public alike.},
}

@article {pmid38687984,
year = {2024},
author = {Resendez, S and Brown, SH and Ruiz Ayala, HS and Rangan, P and Nebeker, J and Montella, D and Elkin, PL},
title = {Defining the Subtypes of Long COVID and Risk Factors for Prolonged Disease: Population-Based Case-Crossover Study.},
journal = {JMIR public health and surveillance},
volume = {10},
number = {},
pages = {e49841},
doi = {10.2196/49841},
pmid = {38687984},
issn = {2369-2960},
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/epidemiology/complications ; Risk Factors ; Male ; *Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Female ; *Cross-Over Studies ; Middle Aged ; United States/epidemiology ; Aged ; International Classification of Diseases ; Adult ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: There have been over 772 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. A significant portion of these infections will lead to long COVID (post-COVID-19 condition) and its attendant morbidities and costs. Numerous life-altering complications have already been associated with the development of long COVID, including chronic fatigue, brain fog, and dangerous heart rhythms.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to derive an actionable long COVID case definition consisting of significantly increased signs, symptoms, and diagnoses to support pandemic-related clinical, public health, research, and policy initiatives.

METHODS: This research employs a case-crossover population-based study using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) data generated at Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide between January 1, 2020, and August 18, 2022. In total, 367,148 individuals with ICD-10-CM data both before and after a positive COVID-19 test were selected for analysis. We compared ICD-10-CM codes assigned 1 to 7 months following each patient's positive test with those assigned up to 6 months prior. Further, 350,315 patients had novel codes assigned during this window of time. We defined signs, symptoms, and diagnoses as being associated with long COVID if they had a novel case frequency of ≥1:1000, and they significantly increased in our entire cohort after a positive test. We present odds ratios with CIs for long COVID signs, symptoms, and diagnoses, organized by ICD-10-CM functional groups and medical specialty. We used our definition to assess long COVID risk based on a patient's demographics, Elixhauser score, vaccination status, and COVID-19 disease severity.

RESULTS: We developed a long COVID definition consisting of 323 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes grouped into 143 ICD-10-CM functional groups that were significantly increased in our 367,148 patient post-COVID-19 population. We defined 17 medical-specialty long COVID subtypes such as cardiology long COVID. Patients who were COVID-19-positive developed signs, symptoms, or diagnoses included in our long COVID definition at a proportion of at least 59.7% (268,320/449,450, based on a denominator of all patients who were COVID-19-positive). The long COVID cohort was 8 years older with more comorbidities (2-year Elixhauser score 7.97 in the patients with long COVID vs 4.21 in the patients with non-long COVID). Patients who had a more severe bout of COVID-19, as judged by their minimum oxygen saturation level, were also more likely to develop long COVID.

CONCLUSIONS: An actionable, data-driven definition of long COVID can help clinicians screen for and diagnose long COVID, allowing identified patients to be admitted into appropriate monitoring and treatment programs. This long COVID definition can also support public health, research, and policy initiatives. Patients with COVID-19 who are older or have low oxygen saturation levels during their bout of COVID-19, or those who have multiple comorbidities should be preferentially watched for the development of long COVID.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/epidemiology/complications
Risk Factors
Male
*Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Female
*Cross-Over Studies
Middle Aged
United States/epidemiology
Aged
International Classification of Diseases
Adult

@article {pmid38686827,
year = {2024},
author = {Blitshteyn, S and Verduzco-Gutierrez, M},
title = {Long COVID: A major public health issue.},
journal = {American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1097/PHM.0000000000002486},
pmid = {38686827},
issn = {1537-7385},
}

@article {pmid38684843,
year = {2024},
author = {Delgado-Alonso, C and Delgado-Alvarez, A and Díez-Cirarda, M and Oliver-Mas, S and Cuevas, C and Montero-Escribano, P and Ramos-Leví, AM and Gil-Moreno, MJ and López-Carbonero, JI and Hermann, BP and Matias-Guiu, J and Matias-Guiu, JA},
title = {Cognitive profile in multiple sclerosis and post-COVID condition: a comparative study using a unified taxonomy.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {9806},
pmid = {38684843},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {INT20/00079//Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness | Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Institute of Health Carlos III)/ ; INT23/00017//Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness | Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Institute of Health Carlos III)/ ; CD22/00043//Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness | Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Institute of Health Carlos III)/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *Multiple Sclerosis/complications/psychology ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *COVID-19/complications/psychology/virology ; *Fatigue ; *Neuropsychological Tests ; *Cognition ; *Cognitive Dysfunction ; Depression ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; },
abstract = {Post-COVID condition (PCC) and multiple sclerosis (MS) share some clinical and demographic features, including cognitive symptoms and fatigue. Some pathophysiological mechanisms well-known in MS, such as autoimmunity, neuroinflammation and myelin damage, have also been implicated in PCC. In this study, we aimed to compare the cognitive phenotypes of two large cohorts of patients with PCC and MS, and to evaluate the relationship between fatigue and cognitive performance. Cross-sectional study including 218 patients with PCC and 218 with MS matched by age, sex, and years of education. Patients were evaluated with a comprehensive neuropsychological protocol and were categorized according to the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders system. Fatigue and depression were also assessed. Cognitive profiles of PCC and MS largely overlapped, with a greater impairment in episodic memory in MS, but with small effect sizes. The most salient deficits in both disorders were in attention and processing speed. The severity of fatigue was greater in patients with PCC. Still, the correlations between fatigue severity and neuropsychological tests were more prominent in the case of MS. There were no differences in the severity of depression among groups. Our study found similar cognitive profiles in PCC and MS. Fatigue was more severe in PCC, but was more associated with cognitive performance in MS. Further comparative studies addressing the mechanisms related to cognitive dysfunction and fatigue may be of interest to advance the knowledge of these disorders and develop new therapies.},
}

Humans
*Multiple Sclerosis/complications/psychology
Male
Female
Middle Aged
Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
*COVID-19/complications/psychology/virology
*Fatigue
*Neuropsychological Tests
*Cognition
*Cognitive Dysfunction
Depression
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification

@article {pmid38684819,
year = {2024},
author = {Jansen, EB and Ostadgavahi, AT and Hewins, B and Buchanan, R and Thivierge, BM and Sganzerla Martinez, G and Goncin, U and Francis, ME and Swan, CL and Scruten, E and Bell, J and Darbellay, J and Facciuolo, A and Falzarano, D and Gerdts, V and Fenton, ME and Hedlin, P and Kelvin, DJ and Kelvin, AA},
title = {PASC (Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19) is associated with decreased neutralizing antibody titers in both biological sexes and increased ANG-2 and GM-CSF in females.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {9854},
pmid = {38684819},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {GA2-177714//Canadian Institutes for Health Research/ ; 6425//Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {Humans ; *COVID-19/immunology/blood/virology ; Female ; *Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood/immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *SARS-CoV-2/immunology/isolation & purification ; *Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/immunology/blood ; Adult ; *Antibodies, Viral/blood/immunology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Aged ; Sex Factors ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism ; },
abstract = {Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or the continuation of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) symptoms past 12 weeks may affect as many as 30% of people recovering from a SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2) infection. The mechanisms regulating the development of PASC are currently not known; however, hypotheses include virus reservoirs, pre-existing conditions, microblood clots, immune dysregulation, as well as poor antibody responses. Importantly, virus neutralizing antibodies are essential for COVID-19 recovery and protection from reinfection but there is currently limited information on these immune regulators and associated cytokines in PASC patients. Understanding the key drivers of general and specific symptoms associated with Long COVID and the presence of virus neutralizing antibodies in PASC will aid in the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines which currently do not exist. We designed a cross-sectional study to investigate systemic antibody and cytokine responses during COVID-19 recovery and PASC. In total, 195 participants were recruited in one of four groups: (1) Those who never had COVID-19 (No COVID); (2) Those in acute COVID-19 recovery (Acute Recovery) (4-12 weeks post infection); (3) Those who recovered from COVID-19 (Recovered) (+ 12 weeks from infection); and (4) those who had PASC (PASC) (+ 12 weeks from infection). Participants completed a questionnaire on health history, sex, gender, demographics, experiences with COVID-19 acute and COVID-19 recovery/continuing symptoms. Serum samples collected were evaluated for antibody binding to viral proteins, virus neutralizing antibody titers, and serum cytokine levels using Ella SimplePlex Immunoassay™ panels. We found participants with PASC reported more pre-existing conditions (e.g. such as hypertension, asthma, and obesity), and PASC symptoms (e.g. fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and shortness of breath) following COVID-19 than COVID-19 Recovered individuals. Importantly, we found PASC individuals to have significantly decreased levels of neutralizing antibodies toward both SARS-CoV-2 and the Omicron BA.1 variant. Sex analysis indicated that female PASC study participants had sustained antibody levels as well as levels of the inflammatory cytokines GM-CSF and ANG-2 over time following COVID-19. Our study reports people experiencing PASC had lower levels of virus neutralizing antibodies; however, the results are limited by the collection time post-COVID-19 and post-vaccination. Moreover, we found females experiencing PASC had sustained levels of GM-CSF and ANG-2. With lower levels of virus neutralizing antibodies, this data suggests that PASC individuals not only have had a suboptimal antibody response during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection but may also have increased susceptibility to subsequent infections which may exacerbate or prolong current PASC illnesses. We also provide evidence suggesting GM-CSF and ANG-2 to play a role in the sex-bias of PASC. Taken together, our findings maybe important for understanding immune molecular drivers of PASC and PASC subgroups.},
}

Humans
*COVID-19/immunology/blood/virology
Female
*Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood/immunology
Male
Middle Aged
*SARS-CoV-2/immunology/isolation & purification
*Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/immunology/blood
Adult
*Antibodies, Viral/blood/immunology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Aged
Sex Factors
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/metabolism

@article {pmid38684388,
year = {2024},
author = {Slankamenac, J and Ranisavljev, M and Todorovic, N and Ostojic, J and Stajer, V and Candow, DG and Ratgeber, L and Betlehem, J and Acs, P and Ostojic, SM},
title = {Eight-Week Creatine-Glucose Supplementation Alleviates Clinical Features of Long COVID.},
journal = {Journal of nutritional science and vitaminology},
volume = {70},
number = {2},
pages = {174-178},
doi = {10.3177/jnsv.70.174},
pmid = {38684388},
issn = {1881-7742},
mesh = {Humans ; *Creatine/administration & dosage ; Male ; Female ; Double-Blind Method ; *Dietary Supplements ; Adult ; *Glucose/administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; *COVID-19/complications ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Fatigue/drug therapy ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome ; Brain/drug effects/metabolism ; Treatment Outcome ; },
abstract = {Preliminary studies demonstrated beneficial effects of dietary creatine across different post-viral fatigue syndromes. Creatine is often co-administered with glucose to improve its potency yet whether glucose boost the efficacy of creatine in long COVID remains currently unknown. In this report, we investigate the effects of 8-wk creatine intake with and without glucose on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and tissue creatine levels in patients with long COVID. Fifteen male and female long COVID adult patients (age 39.7±16.0 y; 9 women) with moderate fatigue and at least one of additional long COVID-related symptoms volunteered to participate in this randomized controlled parallel-group interventional trial. All patients were allocated in a double-blind parallel-group design (1 : 1 : 1) to receive creatine (8 g of creatine monohydrate per day), a mixture of creatine and glucose (8 g of creatine monohydrate and 3 g of glucose per day), or placebo (3 g of glucose per day) t.i.d. during an 8-wk intervention interval. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures (treatment vs. time interaction) revealed significant differences in changes in total creatine levels between the groups, showing an interaction effect at two brain locations (right precentral white matter F=34.740, p=0.008; partial η[2]=0.72; left paracentral grey matter F=19.243, p=0.019; partial η[2]=0.88), with creatine and creatine-glucose outcompeted placebo to elevate creatine levels at these two locations. Several long COVID symptoms (including body aches, breathing problems, difficulties concentrating, headache, and general malaise) were significantly reduced in creatine-glucose group at 8-wk follow-up (p≤0.05); the effect sizes for reducing body aches, difficulties concentrating, and headache were 1.33, 0.80, and 1.12, respectively, suggesting a large effect of creatine-glucose mixture for these outcomes. Our preliminary findings suggest that supplying exogenous creatine with glucose could be recommended as an effective procedure in replenishing brain creatine pool and alleviating long COVID features in this prevalent condition.},
}

Humans
*Creatine/administration & dosage
Male
Female
Double-Blind Method
*Dietary Supplements
Adult
*Glucose/administration & dosage
Middle Aged
*COVID-19/complications
SARS-CoV-2
Fatigue/drug therapy
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Brain/drug effects/metabolism
Treatment Outcome

@article {pmid38683740,
year = {2024},
author = {},
title = {Corrections to: COVID-19 and the Postviral Syndrome of Long COVID: Where We Have Come from and Where We Are Going.},
journal = {Health & social work},
volume = {49},
number = {2},
pages = {e1},
doi = {10.1093/hsw/hlae010},
pmid = {38683740},
issn = {1545-6854},
}

@article {pmid38681774,
year = {2023},
author = {Salihoğlu, R and Saraçoğlu, F and Sibai, M and Zengin, T and Abak Masud, B and Karasoy, O and Süzek, T},
title = {CompCorona: A web application for comparative transcriptome analyses of coronaviruses reveals SARS-CoV-2-specific host response.},
journal = {Turkish journal of biology = Turk biyoloji dergisi},
volume = {47},
number = {6},
pages = {393-405},
pmid = {38681774},
issn = {1303-6092},
abstract = {BACKGROUND/AIM: Understanding the mechanism of host transcriptomic response to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is crucial, especially for patients suffering from long-term effects of COVID-19, such as long COVID or pericarditis inflammation, potentially linked to side effects of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. We conducted comprehensive transcriptome and enrichment analyses on lung and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) infected with SARS-CoV-2, as well as on SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, to uncover shared pathways and elucidate their common disease progression and viral replication mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed CompCorona, the first interactive online tool for visualizing gene response variance among the family Coronaviridae through 2D and 3D principal component analysis (PCA) and exploring systems biology variance using pathway plots. We also made preprocessed datasets of lungs and PBMCs infected by SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV publicly available through CompCorona.

RESULTS: One remarkable finding from the lung and PBMC datasets for infections by SARS-CoV-2, but not infections by other coronaviruses (CoVs), was the significant downregulation of the angiogenin (ANG) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) genes, both directly involved in epithelial and vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. Suppression of the TNF signaling pathway was also observed in cells infected by SARS-CoV-2, along with simultaneous activation of complement and coagulation cascades and pertussis pathways. The ribosome pathway was found to be universally suppressed across all three viruses. The CompCorona online tool enabled the comparative analysis of 9 preprocessed host transcriptome datasets of cells infected by CoVs, revealing the specific host response differences in cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This included identifying markers of epithelial dysfunction via interactive 2D and 3D PCA, Venn diagrams, and pathway plots.

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that infection by SARS-CoV-2 might induce pulmonary epithelial dysfunction, a phenomenon not observed in cells infected by other CoVs. The publicly available CompCorona tool, along with the preprocessed datasets of cells infected by various CoVs, constitutes a valuable resource for further research into CoV-associated syndromes.},
}

@article {pmid38678084,
year = {2024},
author = {Gutman, EG and Salvio, AL and Fernandes, RA and Duarte, LA and Raposo-Vedovi, JV and Alcaraz, HF and Teixeira, MA and Passos, GF and de Medeiros, KQM and Hammerle, MB and Pires, KL and Vasconcelos, CCF and Leon, LAA and Figueiredo, CP and Alves-Leon, SV},
title = {Long COVID: plasma levels of neurofilament light chain in mild COVID-19 patients with neurocognitive symptoms.},
journal = {Molecular psychiatry},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
pmid = {38678084},
issn = {1476-5578},
support = {E-26/210.254/2020//Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro)/ ; E-26/210.657/2021//Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro)/ ; E-26/210.273/2018//Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro)/ ; E-26/201.040/2021//Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro)/ ; E-26/201.406/2021//Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro)/ ; VPPCB-005-FIO-20-2-56//Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, FIOCRUZ)/ ; },
abstract = {It is well known the potential of severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to induce post-acute sequelae, a condition called Long COVID. This syndrome includes several symptoms, but the central nervous system (CNS) main one is neurocognitive dysfunction. Recently it has been demonstrated the relevance of plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (pNfL), as a biomarker of early involvement of the CNS in COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pNfL in patients with post-acute neurocognitive symptoms and the potential of NfL as a prognostic biomarker in these cases. A group of 63 long COVID patients ranging from 18 to 59 years-old were evaluated, submitted to a neurocognitive battery assessment, and subdivided in different groups, according to results. Plasma samples were collected during the long COVID assessment and used for measurement of pNfL with the Single molecule array (SIMOA) assays. Levels of pNfL were significantly higher in long COVID patients with neurocognitive symptoms when compared to HC (p = 0.0031). Long COVID patients with cognitive impairment and fatigue symptoms presented higher pNfL levels when compared to long COVID patients without these symptoms, individually and combined (p = 0.0263, p = 0.0480, and 0.0142, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that levels of cognitive lost and exacerbation of fatigue in the neurocognitive evaluation had a significative correlation with higher pNfL levels (p = 0.0219 and 0.0255, respectively). Previous reports suggested that pNfL levels are related with higher risk of severity and predict lethality of COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection seems to have a long-term impact on the brain, even in patients who presented mild acute disease. NfL measurements might be useful to identify CNS involvement in long COVID associated with neurocognitive symptoms and to identify who will need continuous monitoring and treatment support.},
}