· #LongCOVID clinical trial assessing the monoclonal antibody AER002 found no difference between those who got the drug and placebo
· prospective study in Pediatric International found that, six months after SARS-C0V-2 infection, 23% of children had Long COVID symptoms
· Chinese study of five participants with Long COVID and myocarditis found severe damage in the mitochondria
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/05/20/research-updates-may-20/
Early results from a Long COVID clinical trial assessing the monoclonal antibody AER002 found no difference between those who got the drug and placebo. Researcher Michael Peluso revealed the results at the PolyBio Spring Symposium; he and his colleagues are still analyzing data and will publish a paper later.
· A large study in Nature Genetics found a genetic risk factor for developing #LongCOVID
· Leading Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) researchers have pushed back against an op-ed commissioned by the BMJ that spread false claims about #MECFS
· RECOVER-Treating Long COVID (TLC), the clinical trials initiative from the National Institutes of Health’s flagship Long COVID research program, shared updates about forthcoming trials
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/05/27/research-updates-may-27/
A large study in Nature Genetics found a genetic risk factor for developing Long COVID. Researchers studied genetics data from 6,450 participants with Long COVID and over a million population controls across 16 countries, leading to the discovery that a variant near the FOXP4 gene increased the risk of the disease by about 60%.
· New NIH study found that around one in seven children under age six with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection met the probable diagnostic criteria for #LongCOVID
· Pemivibart (Pemgarda), a monoclonal antibody that helps prevent COVID-19, was found to be “well tolerated” and effective in phase 3 clinical trial
· New preprint from researchers in the US & Canada used a model called “Mobius” to classify ME & Long COVID with 97% accuracy, using data from blood
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/06/03/research-updates-june-3/
A new National Institutes of Health RECOVER program study in JAMA Pediatrics found that around one in seven children under age six with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection met the probable diagnostic criteria for Long COVID. Studying over 1,000 infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, researchers revealed differences in how Long COVID presented between age groups.
· Three recent studies show the harmful effects of misdiagnosis for chronic diseases and conditions
· A new preprint shared in Research Square found a connection between post-exertional malaise (PEM) and microclots, or tiny blood clots that disrupt how oxygen moves through the body
· The Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness (CoRE) at Mount Sinai in New York is now recruiting for their rapamycin clinical trial for #LongCOVID
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/06/10/research-updates-june-10/
Three recent studies show the harmful effects of misdiagnosis for chronic diseases and conditions. The first, a meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin of 151 studies encompassing 11 diseases (including Long COVID) and over 11,000 participants, found that medical gaslighting led to adverse impacts including diagnostic delay and emotional stress.
· Pregnant people infected with SARS-CoV-2 during first trimester more likely to have smaller newborns
· Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) triggered by COVID-19 had metabolic disturbances that “mirrored those seen in severe adult #COVID19 patients
· A population-level study from a database in Utah found there was a significant association between a past COVID-19 diagnosis and self-harming in children and adolescents
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/06/17/research-updates-june-17/
· A new review paper published in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences focuses on how Long COVID impacts the nervous and immune systems
· Another study has found potential biomarkers in the blood of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)
· The Patient-Led Research Collaborative (PLRC) launched a new clinical trial and research study platform for Long COVID and associated diseases: the PLRC Registry
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/06/24/research-updates-june-24/
· Scientists found a new antiviral drug prototype that prevented Long COVID in mice and could also help treat the disease
· A recent preprint shared in medRxiv found further evidence of brain damage after COVID-19
· A new clinical trial for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is recruiting in Tokyo, Japan, to test the monoclonal antibody Rituximab
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/07/01/research-updates-july-1/
Scientists found a new antiviral drug prototype that prevented Long COVID in mice and could also help treat the disease. In a study describing this milestone, published in Nature Communications, researchers stated the antiviral targets the coronavirus’ PLpro protein, as opposed to the Mpro protein, which Paxlovid targets.
· The biotech company Invivyd, which makes the #COVID19 monoclonal antibody Pemgarda, announced that it has launched the SPEAR Study Group to explore the drug for #LongCOVID and post-vaccine syndrome (PVS)
· A new study from Taiwan published in Pediatrics and Neonatology found about 14% of children developed Long COVID after being infected with #SarsCoV2
· A new observational study is investigating the relationship between COVID-19 and #Diabetes
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/07/08/research-updates-july-8/
The biotech company Invivyd, which makes the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody Pemgarda, announced this week that it has launched the SPEAR Study Group to explore the drug for Long COVID and post-vaccine syndrome (PVS).
· A new study in PNAS found elevated oxidative stress was a shared characteristic in both #MECFS and #LongCOVID
· RECOVER-Treating Long COVID, the clinical trials initiative run by the Foundation for the NIAID, has announced that it will hold a second annual hybrid workshop discussing the initiative’s research
· A clinical trial in the U.K. called PHOSP-I is recruiting to test the monoclonal antibody Tocilizumab
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/07/15/research-updates-july-15/
· A treatment for cats with a #COVID19-related infection may help advance #LongCOVID research
· The supplement Oxaloacetate may help reduce fatigue for LC, but it “did not reach statistical significance,” according to a new study at Bateman Horne Center
· A new prospective cohort study in JAMA Oncology of 1,572 participants with cancer found that COVID-19 had a “significant impact” on these patients, incl. hospitalization, treatment disruptions, death
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/07/22/research-updates-july-22/
A treatment for cats with a COVID-related infection may help advance Long COVID research. In a small study in Stem Cells Translation Medicine, researchers treated 10 cats who got feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a feline coronavirus infection that triggers immune dysfunction, and found that those who received a combination of the antiviral drug GS-441524 and mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) therapy had “enhanced immune recovery.”
· Two studies on potential biomarkers for #MECFS were published this month
· Stellate ganglion blocks, a procedure where an anesthetic is injected into nerves in the neck, may help reduce the severity of some symptoms of #LongCOVID and ME
· An observational study is recruiting 40 people in Boston, Massachusetts to test for defects of air and blood flow in the lungs in people with Long COVID
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/07/29/research-updates-july-29/
· A drug originally developed for celiac disease was found to be safe and effective in treating a post-COVID syndrome in children
· “Dormant cancer cells are like the embers left in an abandoned campfire, and respiratory viruses are like a strong wind that reignites the flames,” said one of the authors of a new study in Nature
· An upcoming at-home clinical trial program for #LongCOVID, run by Scripps Research, is seeking participants
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/08/05/research-updates-august-5/
· People with myalgic encephalomyelitis (#MECFS) have significant genetic differences in their DNA
· A very small clinical trial of the infusion drug BC 007 published in eClinicalMedicine found “significant improvement” in fatigue in people with #LongCOVID
· A phase 2 clinical trial testing the monoclonal antibody sipavibart is recruiting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/08/12/research-updates-august-12/
· A new preprint from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER study found that #COVID19 reinfections may increase risk of #LongCOVID by about 35%
· A new review article in Ageing Research Reviews found that persistent infections from viruses, bacteria, fungus, and parasites can accelerate human aging
· A new Long COVID clinical trial to test the immunotherapy drug Anktiva was announced this week by the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Medicine
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/08/19/research-updates-august-19/
· Metformin may help reduce the risk of #LongCOVID, according to two new studies
· A Phase 2 clinical trial is studying the drug vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) for Long COVID
· The National Institutes of Health’s second RECOVER-Treating Long COVID workshop is happening next week, September 9–10
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/09/02/research-updates-september-2/
Metformin may help reduce the risk of Long COVID, according to two new studies. One large study from the United Kingdom found that it reduced the rate of Long COVID in “obese and overweight” people by 63% percent.
· A medium sized study in Saudi Arabia found that 29% of participants who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 developed #LongCOVID
· In a small case series, a combination of three antivirals was effective in improving symptoms in participants with Long COVID, according to a new preprint
· The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the drug application of a potential oral therapy for the prevention of #COVID19 following exposure
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/09/09/research-updates-september-9/
A large study in Saudi Arabia found that 29% of participants who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 developed Long COVID. “This finding is consistent with the higher prevalence estimates reported globally and highlights the long-term burden of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms,” the authors of the study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, wrote.
· An estimated 36% of people with a documented SARS-CoV-2 infection worldwide have experienced #LongCOVID, according to a new systematic review
· New funding will help advance a potential low-cost diagnostic test for myalgic encephalomyelitis (#ME)
· The SPEAR study group has proposed a potential Long COVID clinical trial with the company’s next-generation monoclonal antibody, VYD2311
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/09/16/research-updates-september-16/
· Two recent studies found limitations of the drug Paxlovid for protection from #LongCOVID, contrasting prior studies that suggested the antiviral drug might help prevent the disease
· Long COVID may increase menstrual bleeding, according to a new survey study published in Nature Communications
· A new clinical trial is testing the supplement Mitoquinone in combination with “exercise rehabilitation” (which may be detrimental) for Long COVID
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/09/23/research-updates-september-23/
· Researchers in Spain assessed over 190,000 participants, found that #LongCOVID prevalence was three to 10 times higher in individuals with three or more reported infections
· A new RECOVER study published in JAMA found that olfactory dysfunction, or changes to sense of smell, occurred in people after SARS-CoV-2 infection
· A behavioral trial at Columbia University (LONG-CALM) is assessing a vague “mindfulness intervention” for Long COVID
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/09/30/research-updates-september-30/
Researchers in Spain assessed over 190,000 participants, using data from a public health research network, in a study published in the journal Vaccines. They found that Long COVID prevalence was three to 10 times higher in individuals with three or more reported infections than in those with only one infection.
· A new study that found the risk of Long COVID doubled in children following SARS-C0V-2 reinfection made mainstream headlines this week
· Researchers in Japan may have found a potential biomarker and treatment target for cognitive dysfunction in #LongCOVID
· A new phase 1 clinical trial is currently recruiting to test the GLP-1 agonist drug Liraglutide for Long COVID, multiple sclerosis, and acute leukemia
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/10/07/research-updates-october-7/
· A large electronic health records study found SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with elevated risks of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer
· A small study in the Journal of Translation Medicine found a potential blood test for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)
· Researchers have developed a device that may be able to accurately measure fibrinaloid microclots in children
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/10/14/research-updates-october-14/
· A clinical trial for the anti-inflammatory drug Colchicine did not find the drug effective for #LongCOVID
· A white paper from the Patient-Led Research Collaborative assessed Long COVID in India
· Researchers recently critiqued the study design and conclusions of a controversial 2024 study on ME, which asserted that the disease was a result of altered “effort preference” and deconditioning
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/10/21/research-updates-october-21/
A clinical trial for the anti-inflammatory drug Colchicine did not find the drug effective for Long COVID, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The randomized trial included 346 participants in India who took at least 0.5 milligrams once or twice per day, or a placebo, for 52 weeks.
· A small mechanistic study in Frontiers in Immunology analyzed chronic inflammation in #COVID19.
· A recent paper found that low-dose rapamycin alleviated symptoms of fatigue and post-exertional malaise in people with #MECFS.
· A phase 2 clinical trial is recruiting in Boston, Massachusetts to test the drugs Pyridostigmine (Mestinon) and Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for ME.
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/10/28/research-updates-october-28/
· The #German government is cutting millions of euros in #LongCOVID funding
· Large electronic cohort study from Sweden found that 1.4% of people with a documented #COVID19 case were officially diagnosed with Long COVID by medical providers
· Lidia Morawska, Australian scientist who alerted the world that SARS-CoV-2 was airborne, was recently recognized for her work with a prestigious science prize for “pioneering research about the air we breathe"
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/11/04/research-updates-november-4/
· The RECOVER-NEURO clinical trial found that “cognitive rehabilitation” failed in treating #LongCOVID
· Scientists are revealing more about microclots and Long COVID. A recent study in the Journal of Medical Virology found a strong association between microclots and net-like structures that some white blood cells (called neutrophils) release to attack pathogens
· A study about #MECFS was retracted by the journal Food Science and Nutrition
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/11/11/research-updates-november-11/
The RECOVER-NEURO clinical trial found that “cognitive rehabilitation” failed in treating Long COVID. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study included 328 people who underwent interventions of either online cognitive training (computer games), a cognitive rehabilitation program, or received electric currents on their heads.
· New mechanistic study in Science Translational Medicine identifies Epstein-Barr virus as a potential trigger of the autoimmune disease systemic #lupus erythematosus
· Michael Peluso of UCSF shared updates on two upcoming #LongCOVID trials:
- One potential trial called COMBAT-LC plans to test the combination of the monoclonal antibody Pemgarda with the antiviral Paxlovid
- The second trial INTERRUPT-LC will test the bladder cancer drug Anktiva
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/11/18/research-updates-november-18/
· A review paper summarizes the vast global costs of #LongCOVID, it is estimated to have an average annual burden of at least $1 trillion globally per year
· A small study in Nature found SARS-CoV-2 in the organs of fetuses from people who were infected with the virus while pregnant
· The National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER-Treating Long COVID initiative released a draft of its protocol for the low-dose naltrexone trial for people ages 6-25
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/11/25/research-updates-november-25/
A new review paper summarizes the vast global costs of Long COVID. Public health researcher Amit Bansal from the University of Bergen conducted an economic literature analysis and determined that Long COVID is estimated to have an average annual burden of at least $1 trillion globally each year.
· Large retrospective cohort study of over 18,000 births found infants exposed to #COVID19 during pregnancy were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses as 3 years olds
· Another study has found that common diabetes drug metformin may help reduce risk of #LongCOVID
· NIH is recruiting for a small observational study to understand if people with neurological symptoms of Long COVID have inactive [?] remnants of SARS-CoV-2 in their bodies
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/12/02/research-updates-december-2/
A large retrospective cohort study of over 18,000 live births found that infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses by the time they were three years old.
· A new study in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases examines how #COVID19 impacts the immune system
· German government announced just over €500 million ($582 million USD) in funding for infection-associated diseases, including #LongCOVID & #MECFS
· A preprint using data from the DecodeME study found more than 250 genes associated with ME, 76 of which were shared with Long COVID
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/12/09/research-updates-december-9/
· New study in Cureus found veterans diagnosed with #LongCOVID at 34% higher risk of visiting emergency department 6 months after infection
· “Our data demonstrate that [LC] is characterized by chronic inflammation, immune exhaustion, & metabolic dysregulation,” scientists conclud in new study published in Nature Immunology
· U.K. charity ME Association awards £1.1 million in funding to the Imperial College to study immunological profiles of LC & #MECFS
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/12/16/research-updates-december-16/
A new observational study in Cureus found that veterans diagnosed with Long COVID had a 34% higher risk of visiting the emergency department (ED) six months following infection than those without Long COVID.
· Two recent studies state that #LongCOVID is an occupational disease.
· Vanderbilt researchers are conducting an immune profiling study on people with Long COVID and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (#POTS)
· A new phase two remote clinical trial was recently announced for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) #MECFS
https://thesicktimes.org/2025/12/23/research-updates-december-23/
· 43% of Latino people reported symptoms of #LongCOVID in a new survey study published in Journal of General Internal Medicine
· A case series for Long COVID using a combination of Paxlovid, valacyclovir (Valtrex) and celecoxib (Celebrex), was recently published in Frontiers of Immunology
· A new phase II clinical trial for Long COVID was recently announced in the Netherlands
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/06/research-updates-january-6/
43% of Latino people reported symptoms of Long COVID in a new survey study published in Journal of General Internal Medicine. The survey included the responses of 1,500 participants in Washington state who had confirmed COVID-19 cases between 2020 and 2022.
· A large, electronic health records study published in JAMA Internal Medicine estimated that over 100,000 Americans died each year between 2022 and 2024 from #COVID19
· A new study published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics found further evidence of abnormalities in post-exertional malaise #PEM
· A small phase two clinical trial is testing #Ketamine for #LongCOVID fatigue and cognitive function
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/13/research-updates-january-13/
· A new study in eBioMedicine found neurological #LongCOVID symptoms were associated with increased pTau-181 levels, a marker of brain inflammation tied to Alzheimer’s disease
· A new “state-of-the-art” review on #POTS highlighted that the multisystemic condition is disabling, causes societal & economic withdrawal
· A phase II clinical trial testing efficacy & safety Uplizna (Inebilizumab) in LC & #MECFS recently announced by German Ministry of Research
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/20/research-updates-january-20/
· A large prospective cohort study published in Infectious Diseases found that a majority of people with #LongCOVID did not recover
· Some researchers in Australia are getting a small boost in Long COVID funding
· The biotech company Invivyd is advancing research of a #COVID19 monoclonal antibody called VYD2311, designed to improve upon the currently-available Pemgarda
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/01/27/research-updates-january-27/
· The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted expanded access to the stem cell infusion RegeneCyte for #LongCOVID
· Long COVID isn’t being consistently captured around the world due to differences in sociological factors, diagnostic tools, and healthcare access
· A phase two trial for Long COVID-associated postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (#POTS) is testing a product called 2-hydroxybenzylamine (2-HOBA)
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/03/research-updates-february-3/
· A large study recently connected “chronic absenteeism” to pediatric #LongCOVID, further disproving the “immunity debt” talking points from pundits earlier in the pandemic
· A small mechanistic study in Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health found that immunoglobulin G (IgG), isolated from people with #MECFS, can destroy mitochondria in endothelial cells
· ADDRESS-LC has opened two more study sites: a new one in California and one in Connecticut
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/10/research-updates-february-10/
· New review in Dovepress states that #LongCOVID, #MECFS & #POTS should be classified as neuroimmune disorders.
· Wearable activity tracker notifications may not be a reliable way to mitigate or reduce PEM, new study in Nature Communications
· Small, phase one study is recruiting in Sacramento & San Francisco, CA to test advanced techniques in total body imaging to improve understanding of “tissue-level immune dysregulation” in the disease
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/17/research-updates-february-17/
· SARS-CoV-2 reinfections significantly increase the risk of #LongCOVID in children, a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) RECOVER study found
· A large cohort study found further evidence that people with #HIV have a significantly increased risk of Long COVID following SARS-CoV-2 infection
· An in-depth whole genome sequencing study called Sequence #MECFS and Long COVID is seeking to raise £20 million ($23.6 million USD) in funding
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/02/24/research-updates-february-24/
· Researchers identified high levels of cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ) as a potential biomarker for #LongCOVID
· Two new studies compare SARS-CoV-2’s long-term risks to those of the flu
· A small phase 1 clinical trial will test the safety of the cancer monoclonal antibody Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/03/research-updates-march-3/
Researchers identified high levels of cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in white blood cells as a potential biomarker for Long COVID. The small study, published in Science Advances, found that symptoms improved when production of IFN-γ (a molecule that plays an important role in immune response) decreased.
· A large retrospective cohort study found significant healthcare cost increases for #LongCOVID over five years
· A South Korean clinical trial evaluated metformin and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for Long COVID, but didn’t find either effective
· Two recent preprints share additional analysis from clinical trials seeking to address viral persistence
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/10/research-updates-march-10/
· Two recent prevalence studies showed the impact of #LongCOVID on Americans
· A small study shared as a preprint in bioXriv found SARS-C0V-2 spike protein in the gut tissues of people with Long COVID
· Researcher Dianna Arnoux-Whiteman was awarded a $45,000 grant to survey the effects of Long COVID in the Blackfeet Nation
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/17/research-updates-march-17/
Two recent prevalence studies showed the impact of Long COVID on Americans. The first, an electronic cohort study of over 600,000 active military personnel, found that 42% had at least one symptom more than 30 days after contracting COVID-19.
· More than 150,000 deaths from #COVID19 went uncounted in the U.S. in the first two years of the pandemic, a new study in Science Advances finds
· Swiss researchers have found up to 60% of healthcare workers in a medium-size cohort study may have at least one symptom of #LongCOVID
· Small clinical trial recruiting in Orange, CA, to test Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Field Stimulation in children with post-concussion syndrome and LC
https://thesicktimes.org/2026/03/24/research-updates-march-24/
More than 150,000 deaths from COVID-19 went uncounted in the U.S. in the first two years of the pandemic, according to a new study in Science Advances. Researchers used machine learning to evaluate death certificates from March 2020 to December 2021, and estimated that 19% more COVID-19 deaths occurred than originally reported.
Anti. 🐘
