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Four years after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic began, doctors and researchers are still concerned about long-term COVID-19 infections (persistent symptoms that can last long after infection). We are looking for ways to help patients suffering from the often debilitating symptoms of cancer. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) infection.
For adults, the most common long-term coronavirus symptoms include fatigue and brain fog, but symptoms may be different for children. Research published last month suggest Preteens are more likely to experience symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping, and decreased alertness. Even in children, the effects seem to vary by age. Peter Brodin, professor of pediatric immunology at Imperial College London, said: “There seems to be some variation across age groups, with younger children showing fewer signs of organ damage and adolescents having more disease similar to adults.” talk.
Huge sums of money have been spent on long-term research into the novel coronavirus, but the National Institutes of Health has over $1 billion About research projects and clinical trials – Studies have been conducted on children with this condition. mainly limited From online surveys to parent phone calls and electronic health record reviews. Nevertheless, recent research Other reports suggest that 10 to 20 per cent of children may develop long-term COVID-19 infection after an acute infection, and other reports suggest that although many recover, Some people are still sick 3 years later.
Now, what is considered to be the first clinical trial The study, which specifically targets children and young people with long-term COVID-19 infections, is underway and is recruiting subjects between the ages of 7 and 21 to test potential treatments. This is based on research suggesting that long-term illness from COVID-19 in children may be linked to the gut.
In May 2021, Rael Yonker, a pediatric pulmonologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, announced: the study Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is now considered a more severe and acute version of the long-standing coronavirus, she said. The results showed that these children had elevated levels of a protein called zonulin, a so-called sign of the disease. leaky gut. High levels of zonulin increase intestinal permeability, which can allow SARS-CoV-2 virus particles to leak from the intestines into the bloodstream without being excreted from the body. This can lead to inflammation.
As Jonker begins to see more and more children with COVID-19, he theorizes that many of the gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms they are experiencing may be related. erected. But her initial research also showed a potential solution. When she gave children with MIS-C a drug called larazotide, an existing treatment for people with problems related to leaky gut, the levels of viral particles in their blood decreased and Symptoms have improved.
