A recent study by researchers at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, may open the door for research on the long Covid, one of the least recognised and most crippling effects of Sars-Cov-2 infection.
The condition also develops months after coronavirus negativization, when the patient is no longer able to spread the illness but nonetheless experiences symptoms that are frequently more severe than they were when the coronavirus was positive, sometimes for months.
The biochemical basis of Long Covid syndrome would be similar to that of chronic fatigue syndrome, which is sometimes referred to as encephalitis myalgic in the medical community. Additionally, Covid-19 itself may cause this problem.
The research written by specialists with 10 years of experience in ME/CFS and published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine may hold an intriguing key to understanding the long-term effects of the coronavirus and aid in the speedy development of tailored medicines.
Professor Sonya Marshall Gradisnik, the head of the University’s National Center for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, considered the contribution they could make to the therapies. highlighting how people with extended Covid complain to the doctor symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome in the areas of cognition, immunological, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems.
The team’s scientists examined various ionic channels, which are proteins that cross the cell membrane and permit the passage of specific ions both within and outside the cell. finding that patients with long-term COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome have impaired calcium receptors. Therefore, a poor absorption of this element would be at the root of both illnesses.
It also caused extremely severe symptoms, ranging from mental fog to physical exhaustion and even the possibility of specific organ collapse. The symptoms varied depending on the portion of the body where the ion channels were destroyed.
Since more than ten years ago, Dr. Sonya Marshall Gradisnik has been conducting research; starting in 2020, patients with extended Covid will also be included.
588 million Covid cases have been reported globally. Between 30 and 100 million persons may be affected by the long-term Covid, which can emerge months after Sars-Cov-2 infection and linger for up to a year. In which case access to specialised departments is required for diagnosis and symptom-focused treatment. Gaining insight into the causes of this (and other) diseases is a significant step toward the development of novel treatments. In this instance, concentrating on ion absorption, which is necessary for the body to function properly.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
