Long Covid is a condition that is still difficult to diagnose, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine by researchers involved in the National Institute of Health’s RECOVER Initiative. This initiative, which began in 2021, aims to better understand the causes and treatments for the approximately 17 million Americans living with long Covid.
The study analyzed data from over 10,000 patients across 83 clinical sites in the United States. Researchers reviewed various lab results, including blood counts, kidney and liver function tests, and markers of inflammation. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences found between individuals with long Covid and those without the condition.
Lead author Dr. Kristine Erlandson, an infectious disease physician at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, expressed her disappointment in the lack of a definitive test for diagnosing long Covid. She emphasized that the condition appears to be driven by symptoms rather than specific laboratory values.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine added in an editorial that healthcare providers are currently relying on ruling out other potential causes rather than directly diagnosing long Covid due to the absence of a specific test.
Patients in the study were identified as having long Covid based on a scoring system that evaluated 12 symptoms, such as brain fog, dizziness, and palpitations. A diagnosis of long Covid was made if the total score reached a threshold of 12, with no specific time frame for symptom onset and no requirement for a positive Covid test.
While the study was well-conducted, Dr. Marc Sala, a pulmonologist at Northwestern Medicine, suggested that more specialized testing may be necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of long Covid. Routine blood tests may not always reveal abnormalities, but more specific tests, such as blood work during exercise or CT scans after Covid-related pneumonia, could provide additional insights.
Dr. Nisha Viswanathan, director of the long Covid clinic at UCLA Health, shared her experience of working with long Covid patients for several years and highlighted the challenges of diagnosing the condition. She remains hopeful that future research may uncover a biomarker for long Covid, pointing to a recent study from Yale School of Medicine that identified high levels of autoantibodies as a potential indicator.
In conclusion, while diagnosing long Covid remains a complex and evolving process, ongoing research initiatives like the NIH’s RECOVER program are actively working towards finding solutions and improving clinical outcomes for individuals living with this condition.
