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long covid

Strange Structures In The Blood Of Long Covid Patients Could Be The Cause Of Their Symptoms 

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In a new study, medical researchers have found that unusual microscopic structures in the blood of those suffering from long Covid may be the cause of their symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue. 

A team of medical researchers, led by geneticist Alain Thierry of Montpellier University in France, wrote in a paper that “this study shows a robust association between biomarkers indicative of thromboinflammatory activity and long Covid.”

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“The discovery of these biomarker linkages not only presents a possible novel diagnostic methodology but also novel therapeutic targets, offering prospects for future markedly improved clinical management.”

While a direct reasoning for the symptoms of long Covid lasting for months to years after their initial Covid-19 infection isn’t yet clear, this study offers a window of opportunity for treatment. 

Science Alert reported that back in 2021, physiologist Resia Pretorius of Stellenbosch University in South Africa said microclots could be a reason for the lingering symptoms. Microclots are abnormally persistent blood clots that are smaller than those seen in conditions like stroke, but large enough to impact blood flow. 

In 2022, Thierry and his colleagues showed that patients with long Covid have “elevated levels of neutrophil extracellular traps, also known as NETs.” NETs are “sticky webs of DNA and enzymes released by white blood cells to capture and contain pathogens invading the body,” Michelle Starr of Science Alert reports. 

In typical circumstances, NETs do their jobs and then break down, but when they’re released in larger numbers, they can cause blood flow problems. 

Both Pretorius and Thierry collaborated on this new research, and have combined their previous findings to suggest that NETS and microclots both interact in the blood of long Covid patients. 

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The researchers studied blood samples from 50 patients with long Covid and 38 healthy volunteers. They focused particularly on comparing the differences in microclots and NETs in both groups; who had individuals from France and South Africa. 

It was revealed that patients with long Covid had a noticeably higher number of microclots when compared to the healthy group. An increase in NETs also paralleled the increase in microclots within long Covid patients. 

Something new that the team reported was “the NETs appeared to be physically embedded within the microclots, an association that had never before been reported.”

That particular association was found in all the samples observed from both groups. The impact of this increase was more prominent in the long Covid group.

“This finding suggests the existence of underlying physiological interactions between microclots and NETs that, when dysregulated, may become pathogenic,” Thierry explained.

Now, scientists, researchers, and medical professionals could utilize both microclots and NETs as a biomarker to diagnose long Covid, which has been difficult to diagnose. 

The research has been published in the Journal of Medical Virology.

iron

1 In 3 Americans Might Have Undiagnosed Iron Deficiency: “An Underappreciated Public Health Problem”

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According to a new study that analyzed data from over 8,000 individuals, about 1 in 3 Americans might have an undiagnosed iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can cause levels of fatigue, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, hair loss, and more.  

The study itself was published last week in JAMA Network Open. It reported that 14% of the 8,000+ individuals studied had low iron blood levels, known as absolute iron deficiency, and 15% had the “right” iron levels, however, their bodies didn’t know how to use the mineral properly, which is known as functional iron deficiency. 

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In general, doctors don’t normally screen adults for iron deficiency, which is one of the reasons cited that many people may have it without knowing. Researchers weren’t surprised by the results of their study, as previous data has shown that iron deficiency may be more of a “widespread issue” that doctors know, NBC reported.

“This is a common yet underappreciated public health problem,” said study co-author Leo Buckley, a clinical pharmacology specialist. 

“What’s unique about our study is we were looking at regular people who would not otherwise have been screened or tested.”

“[While iron deficiency] is almost never life-threatening, it’s a tremendous quality of life thing,” said Hematologist Dr. Andrew Eisenberger, an associate professor of medicine at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

“Tens of millions of people in the U.S. are basically running on fumes either because there isn’t enough fuel in the tank or because the tank isn’t connecting to the engine well,” said Eisenberger.

“In our society we are hardwired to be at peak performance. With this tremendous prevalence of iron deficiency, so many people can’t do their best.”

One of the biggest hopes of the study is that it will bring greater attention to the issue and ideally raise awareness for both doctors and patients to realize the problem is much more common than we think. 

Doctors typically screen patients for anemia during routine blood testing, however, that test simply measures the levels of red blood cells in an individual’s body, and someone can have a “normal” amount of cells while still having iron deficiency. 

“This is an incredibly preventable disease,” Eisenberger said. 

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“So many people come to me who have had this problem for years and years and years, but their doctors have missed it, ignored it or just didn’t know what to do about it. People suffer tremendously. It’s one of the most satisfying things to take care of because people’s quality of life markedly improves.”

The Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers were responsible for the new study and utilized information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which collected data from the years 2017 to 2021 from 8,021 adults. Participants in the study were on average around 48 years old. 

Buckley stated that doctors should focus on individuals who exhibit symptoms of iron deficiency for testing in the future. Additionally, they should pay attention to individuals who are at high risk, such as pregnant women. 

“The average pregnant woman needs 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of additional iron,” Eisenberger said.

“Many women don’t have their iron levels checked till late in pregnancy. At that point, there’s not enough time to fix it before the woman delivers and the fetus has spent the entire pregnancy with not enough iron.”

“Low iron levels in a pregnant woman have been associated with long-term cognitive impairment in children, small size at birth and early delivery,” Eisenberger said.

Woman Donating Blood

What You Need To Know About Donating Blood During A Pandemic

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This week, the American Red Cross reported that the country is facing an extreme shortage in blood supply. Following an unprecedented amount of blood drive cancellations due to Covid-19 concerns, the Red Cross has received almost 90,000 fewer blood donations within the past month. Even though blood drives may not be a current reality, it’s imperative that people continue to donate their blood when they can, as patients suffering from the virus rely on it.  

“It’s crucial that people continue to donate blood, especially right now. The large drives that have been canceled by companies, universities, and high schools typically support our blood supply and this has resulted in decreased blood components available for the hospital. The issuing of more shelter-in-place orders continues to reduce the donors we need to support our national blood supply, [but] you can still go out and give blood. Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement,” said Dr. Kimberly Sanford, President-Elect of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and director of transfusion medicine.

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One of the most commonly asked questions regarding blood donation during this pandemic is if one has to be tested for Covid-19 beforehand, and the answer is no. Before you’re even able to donate you have to fill out a screening test that will ask questions regarding your health, possible exposure to Covid-19, potential symptoms you’ve been experiencing, etc. Obviously, if you’ve been even slightly symptomatic, you shouldn’t risk donating, so the test is more to double-check. 

When it comes to the actual process of donating your blood during a pandemic, rest assured that most blood collection agencies should have several steps in place to ensure that both donors and employees are completely safe during the entire ordeal. Employees who are involved in blood collection have now been required to take their temperatures daily, while also wearing protective gear during the parts of the process that require the donor and employee to be within six feet of each other; otherwise the two individuals will remain distant.  

In addition to the normal health and safety procedures that these blood collection services abide by, employees are also implementing intense disinfecting procedures to their equipment; even the things that donors never make contact with. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to know your blood type when you donate, as the collection agencies are able to determine that after the fact. 

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You have to be at least 17-years-old in the United States to donate blood, however, some states such as California let 16-year-olds donate with parental consent. There’s also no age limit to how old an individual can be to donate, as long as you’re healthy. There is, however, a weight requirement of weighing at least 110 pounds to donate, and this is more in the interest of the donor themselves. 

Other restrictions previously stated that gay men were not able to donate blood if they had sex with another man within 12 months of donating, however, they’ve relaxed that rule to three months now, which has put the American Red Cross under quite a bit of fire.

The FDA has also loosened its regulations regarding tattoos and piercings for donation. Previously, you had to wait a year after getting a new piercing and/or tattoo before you could donate, but they’ve moved that down to three months now as well. 

If you aren’t sure where you can donate blood, visit the American Red Cross website and enter in your zip code to find a blood drive location near you. Healthy individuals are able to donate blood every 56 days, but if you’re donating platelets you can donate every seven days as well. So if you have the means to, call the Red Cross or visit their website today to see what your donation options are.