Yasmina Kattou / Photo credits: SOLÈNE ARTAUD / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
In a study published in the journal “Science”, Swiss researchers indicate that they have identified abnormalities present in the blood of people with long Covid. A first step to understanding the disease and the hope of diagnosing it with a blood test.
Fatigue, pulmonary problems, memory problems… Long Covid affects around two million French people. These figures are probably underestimated because long Covid is difficult to diagnose due to the multitude of symptoms it can cause. In a study published in the prestigious journal ScienceSwiss researchers have identified abnormalities present in the blood of people with the disease.
The hope of a diagnosis via a blood test
An immune system always on alert, always active in patients affected by long Covid, this is what scientists have identified. However, our defense system is supposed to rest after fighting an infection. By remaining activated, it attacks healthy cells in different organs, thus explaining the persistence of symptoms.
This work is a first step in understanding the disease and a hope for facilitating diagnosis with a simple blood test. “The objective is really, in addition to understanding the disease, to have markers that are easy to measure in the blood which could explain certain forms of long Covid and certain clinical forms which can help us understand the forms of Covid long”, explains David Smadja, hematologist at the Georges Pompidou hospital.
According to Professor Smadja, it will be necessary to continue research to understand the different forms of long Covid which vary depending on the patient, in order to hope to detect abnormalities specific to each person in the blood.