Mystery Finally Solved? New Discovery Could Explain Long COVID

[applegrove]

Mystery Finally Solved? New Discovery Could Explain Long COVID

TOPICS:AntibodiesCOVID-19EnzymeImmune SystemUniversity Of Virginia

By UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HEALTH SYSTEM MAY 19, 2024

https://scitechdaily.com/mystery-finally-solved-new-discovery-could-explain-long-covid/

"SNIP..........

Researchers at UVA Health have uncovered a potential explanation for some of the most puzzling aspects of COVID-19 and long COVID. These surprising insights may pave the way for novel treatments targeting the challenging acute impacts of COVID-19, long COVID, and potentially other viruses.

Researchers led by UVA’s Steven L. Zeichner, MD, PhD, found that COVID-19 may prompt some people’s bodies to make antibodies that act like enzymes that the body naturally uses to regulate important functions – blood pressure, for example. Related enzymes also regulate other important body functions, such as blood clotting and inflammation.

Doctors may be able to target these “abzymes” to stop their unwanted effects. If abzymes with rogue activities are also responsible for some of the features of long COVID, doctors could target the abzymes to treat the difficult and sometimes mysterious symptoms of COVID-19 and long COVID at the source, instead of merely treating the downstream symptoms.

“Some patients with COVID-19 have serious symptoms and we have trouble understanding their cause. We also have a poor understanding of the causes of long COVID,” said Zeichner, a pediatric infectious disease expert at UVA Children’s. “Antibodies that act like enzymes are called ‘abzymes.’ Abzymes are not exact copies of enzymes and so they work differently, sometimes in ways that the original enzyme does not. If COVID-19 patients are making abzymes, it is possible that these rogue abzymes could harm many different aspects of physiology. If this turns out to be true, then developing treatments to deplete or block the rogue abzymes could be the most effective way to treat the complications of COVID-19.”

...............SNIP"

Applegrove:

Someone should ask RFK Jr. if there should be more study into a treatment.

[wnylib]

1. Covid 19 is not the only viral infection that causes long term after effects.

I had personal experience of another one. Polymyalgia rheumatic is a crippling inflammatory condition of muscles and joints that follows viral infections, although no specific virus has been identified. I developed It after having 4 bouts of viral bronchitis in one winter. It has a limited range of people that it affects which is people 60 and older, women more often than men, and people with northern European ancestry.

It limits the range of motion for arms, wrists, and hips and can be so painful that it also hampers movement of legs when walking up a step, bending to get dressed, etc.

Fortunately for me, Prednisone is successful in treating it over a period of months or longer, depending on how bad it is when diagnosed. The procedure is to gradually wean off of the Prednisone while doing exercises to restore muscle use. I had complete mobility restored after 2 years of treatment.

My point is that covid is not the only viral infection that has long term physiological effects. Maybe a similar process is responsible for what I had, too.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polymyalgia-rheumatica/symptoms-causes/syc-20376539

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Decent.

I wonder if the worm in RFK Jr.'s brain ate all of his critical thinking gray matter?

Now that I think of it, the worm probably died of starvation.

[Easterncedar]

3. Epstein-Barr, maybe too?

Interesting and hopeful!

[Oopsie Daisy]

4. "Someone should ask RFK Jr. if there should be more study into a treatment."

>> "Someone should ask RFK Jr. if there should be more study into a treatment."

Perfect! Yes! Thank you very much!

[Timeflyer]

5. Before Long COVID was recognized, many sufferers of viral after-effects were frustrated

by the lack of medical understanding or even compassion. Having an invisible, debilitating disorder is especially tough on young people, because they may look healthy but feel like hell.