The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.
Monday香蕉视频直播檚 announcement from the NIH香蕉视频直播檚 $1.15 billion comes amid frustration from patients who香蕉视频直播檝e struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems 香蕉视频直播� with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it香蕉视频直播檚 a step in the right direction,香蕉视频直播� said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn香蕉视频直播檛 involved with NIH香蕉视频直播檚 project but whose own research . Getting answers is critical, he added, because 香蕉视频直播渢here香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of people out there exploiting patients香蕉视频直播� vulnerability香蕉视频直播� with unproven therapies.
Scientists don香蕉视频直播檛 yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms. Between 10% and 30% of people are estimated to have experienced some form of long COVID after recovering from a coronavirus infection, a risk that has dropped somewhat since early in the pandemic.
香蕉视频直播淚f I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is,香蕉视频直播� U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
That香蕉视频直播檚 why so far the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms 香蕉视频直播� findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:
香蕉视频直播� Whether taking up to 25 days of Pfizer香蕉视频直播檚 antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get COVID-19 and for just five days.
香蕉视频直播� Treatments for 香蕉视频直播渂rain fog香蕉视频直播� and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp.香蕉视频直播檚 BrainHQ cognitive training program, another called PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City香蕉视频直播檚 Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.
Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system 香蕉视频直播� which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat 香蕉视频直播� including the disorder called POTS.
A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.
The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible 香蕉视频直播減latform studies香蕉视频直播� will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.
香蕉视频直播淲e can rapidly pivot,香蕉视频直播� Dr. Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and 香蕉视频直播渋f something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.香蕉视频直播�
The flexibility could be key, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn香蕉视频直播檛 involved with the NIH program but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study 香蕉视频直播渕akes all sorts of sense,香蕉视频直播� but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch.
Komaroff also said that he understands people香蕉视频直播檚 frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited 香蕉视频直播渦ntil some clues came in about the underlying biology,香蕉视频直播� adding: 香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檝e got to have targets.香蕉视频直播�
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