Understanding Long Covid - Yale Medicine Explains

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Published 2023-10-14
For more information on Yale Center for Infection and Immunity or #YaleMedicine, visit: medicine.yale.edu/cii

Many pathogens, especially viral pathogens, can trigger post-acute infectious syndrome like Long COVID. Often it's very difficult to know the causative agent of a post-acute infection syndrome. Long COVID has changed that equation altogether but we still don't know how to treat and better diagnose these types of diseases and prevent them. The patients who have these various post-acute infection syndromes, have a debilitating condition that prevents them from functioning in society in some instances. We are considering several hypotheses right now for mechanisms that trigger post-acute infection syndromes. The first hypothesis is persistent virus infection. Even if you clear the virus from your nose and your throat. There may be a reservoir of virus somewhere in the body that is continuing to replicate and transmit infection. The second hypothesis is autoimmunity. There may be some link between autoimmunity that's triggered by a viral infection and long COVID. The third hypothesis is reactivation of latent viruses. We all carry many viruses, but they are latent. But sometimes these viruses wake up from latency and trigger infection, and the final hypothesis is sort of inflammation that triggers chronic changes in the tissue and damages them. The Center for Infection and Immunity will focus on understanding the pathobiology of long COVID with the hopes of also understanding other post-acute infection syndromes such as myalgic encephalomyelitis chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Research over the past decades has revealed a link between infection and autoimmunity, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and age-related diseases. Our Center will strive to define potential links between infection and these other chronic diseases with the goal of developing targeted and effective therapies.

0:00 - Long COVID
1:11 - Post-Acute Infection Syndrome
1:23 - Persistent Viral Infection
1:44 - Autoimmunity
1:53 - Reactivation of Latent Virus
2:06 - Chronic Inflammation
2:21 - Center For Infection & Immunity

All Comments (21)
  • @ETT329
    I have long covid (for 2 years) and I am miserable- I am so sorry to anyone else experiencing this, or any other chronic illnesses.
  • @cordyone
    In my case, what has helped immensely are H1 and H2 antihistamines (higher dosage than usual) and even more importnantly niacin. The difference for me was like night and day. it may not help everyone, but a great many sufferers are reporting success with this protocol. I hope we can all heal from this horrible long virus!
  • @Rockit181
    I've had long haul issues since the COVID vaccine
  • @chelasis348
    my son developed movement problems and diagnosed with functionalmovementdisorder after mild covid
  • @brobinson8614
    Around half of long Covid cases are identical to ME/CFS, maybe researchers should look at all the science on that, instead of guessing like they are currently
  • My doctor says that she hasn't seen long-COVID since the beginning of the pandemic and my symptoms must be all in my head. I want to scream.
  • @codyaaron3371
    I have been hearing the exact same bs video for 3 years now. They have been making these videos with these hypothesis but have made zero progress since the pandemic.
  • @Zazou002
    fibromyalgia, by any other names... The medical treatment is currently recommended is hide at home and suffer. ans avoid going to see a doctor, they don't have time to waste on your account. Just you complaining and no medical test to prove if you're not acting sick you're own life away. The look in their eyes when you're generalist doctor have 'dispose" of you and the new one is learning you have that diagnostic and he's thinking "nope, nope, nope!!! What I'm gonna do to get ride of her faster???" You know you're mistreated by the medical world when it became so obvious that anyone, not even long-covid sufferer, want to be compared to you and insult you on forum because they certainly don't have what you got. Otherwise, they know what will become of them.
  • @leroygreen1877
    My doc says "we really don't know how long this will last for, its new." There is 3 in my house and all are dealing with different Long haul issues.
  • @jimmyvincent123
    I know so many of us want to blame the vaccine, but how do you explain all the people that have never had the vaccines that are dealing with long covid? Actually, unvaccinated people have a higher percentage of long covid than vaccinated people.
  • @partdeux992
    Amylodosis. Dysbiosis. Lacto bifido loss. Mini aids.
  • @Anthony-iu8wu
    Please if you are reading this.... YouTube or Google 'how to release trigger points in your sternocleidomastoid muscle' (muscle in your neck). I did this and seen studies that show a link! All my year long issues gone! Sounds silly but what do you have to lose? Thank me later. God bless
  • @kapaul1584
    What about the microclot theory and treatment? Maybe this is really just left over clotting that plugged up capillary's. Triple therapy?
  • Tick diseases and environmental illnesses also have a part in this long covid, which the medical system does not check for.
  • @hal511bm
    If I knew I was dyeing I would learn to appreciate Mother Nature. God Bless.
  • @mixedup84
    Probably gonna wanna disable comments on here ...
  • @briacarter5418
    I don’t think they understand it because they don’t even understand how to treat post stroke symptoms for patients who had AVM’s.
  • @lh3540
    Be real nice if hospitals would mask 🙄