Inflammation Levels at Peak of Infection May Be Linked to Long Covid in Women

New research suggests that women who experience mild inflammation during the acute stages of Covid-19 infection may be more prone to specific Long Covid symptoms. Conducted by clinical researchers from the University of York, Hull York Medical School (HYMS), and Hull University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, the study focused on women who survived severe Covid during the initial wave in 2019. The findings revealed that those with signs of inflammation in their blood while battling the virus were more likely to encounter Long Covid symptoms such as muscle ache, low mood, and anxiety.

Examining 144 Covid survivors, the research aimed to identify potential drivers of persistent Long Covid symptoms. Three months post-recovery, a significant number of survivors reported lingering issues, including fatigue (54.2%), breathlessness (52.8%), and sleep disturbance (37.5%). Analysis of blood samples taken at the peak of infection showed elevated biomarkers indicating inflammation activity, such as Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, troponin-T, and ferritin, particularly in women with lingering symptoms.

The study contributes to the ongoing efforts to understand Long Covid complexities, highlighting a potential link between inflammation and persistent symptoms in women. Co-author Christina van der Feltz-Cornelis, Professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of York, emphasized the need for further research into gender-specific aspects of low-grade inflammation in Long Covid and mental health conditions.

Dominic Sykes, a respiratory physician and Academic Clinical Fellow at HYMS, emphasized Long Covid’s mixed nature, involving both physical and mental health symptoms. He stressed the importance of researching serum biomarkers to predict the long-term prognosis for Covid-19 survivors. Professor Mike Crooks, specializing in respiratory medicine at HYMS, emphasized the study’s role in generating hypotheses for further research and the potential benefits of acute phase biomarker assessments to predict outcomes after acute Covid-19. The researchers stressed the urgent need for larger studies exploring gender-specific aspects of inflammation in Long Covid and mental health conditions.

_{Repurposed article originally published in University of York}