A recent study has found proof that an autoimmune reaction is triggering certain neurological symptoms seen in some long COVID patients. The study, conducted in healthy mice, found that the mice exhibited symptoms mirroring those of affected patients to some extent.What is Long COVID? While it has been a long time since the end of the COVID pandemic, its effects continue to linger even today. Several patients who contracted COVID continue to suffer. Long COVID refers to the condition in which a few symptoms of COVID do not go away even after the infection has cleared. Neurological symptoms like headaches, tiredness, sleep problems, extreme brain fog, and difficulty focusing and thinking are commonly seen in some Long COVID patients. Autoantibodies Behind Long COVID Symptoms?Researchers have found a key reason behind certain neurological symptoms of long COVID. A US NIH-funded research group, directed by Drs. Akiko Iwasaki and Tamas L. Horvath of the Yale University School of Medicine and Dr. David Putrino of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai recently found that autoantibodies could be triggering these neurological symptoms in some long COVID patients.Antibodies, in a healthy person, help fight infections. In patients with autoimmune diseases, these antibodies target the body’s own tissues. They are called autoantibodies. The study also discovered that patients who had these autoantibodies are more likely to experience similar symptoms. For example, people with autoantibodies are more likely to face symptoms like loss of taste and smell. They are also more likely to experience nausea and joint pain. The Mouse Experiment The researchers conducted the study by transferring purified antibodies from long COVID patients into healthy mice. It was discovered that the mice developed the following changes that resembled the donors' symptoms: Antibodies from patients with chronic pain caused increased pain sensitivityAntibodies from patients with dizziness caused balance problemsAntibodies from fatigued patients reduced treadmill enduranceEven though the study brings an amount of cohesive understanding in the neurological health of long COVID patients, it doesn't prove the same process is occurring identically in all patients. It provides evidence that the antibodies themselves could contribute to these kinds of neurological changes. The recent breakthrough in long COVID research has brought the healthcare industry one step closer to personalizing care for those affected. Dr. Putrino says, “Our study now shows that if you are in a subgroup of Long COVID patients who have autoantibodies circulating in your body, this is a quantifiable sign that you may be a good candidate for these drugs.”Long COVID Patients More Likely To Develop Heart DiseasesA recent survey by the journal Clinical concluded that long COVID patients were more likely to face cardiovascular complications. The study finds that cardiovascular diseases were more common among long COVID patients. It concluded that 11.9% of those with long COVID have CVD compared to 6.8% without this condition. Specifically, it further revealed that long COVID was associated with a higher risk of chest pain and heart attack, but not coronary heart disease and stroke.