Long COVID Word Cloud on a white background.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Long COVID continues to be a lingering problem for more and more coronavirus patients in the months following their infection. Now, a new study contends that the life-threatening inflammation many patients experience — causing long-term damage to their health — is turning COVID-19 into a chronic condition.

“When someone has a cold or even pneumonia, we usually think of the illness being over once the patient recovers. This is different from a chronic disease, like congestive heart failure or diabetes, which continue to affect patients after an acute episode. We may similarly need to start thinking of COVID-19 as having ongoing effects in many parts of the body after patients have recovered from the initial episode,” says first author Professor Arch G. Mainous III, vice chair for research in the Department of Community Health and Family Medicine at the University of Florida Gainesville, in a media release.

“Once we recognize the importance of ‘long COVID’ after seeming ‘recovery’, we need to focus on treatments to prevent later problems, such as strokes, brain dysfunction, and especially premature death.”

COVID inflammation increases risk of death one year later

The study finds COVID patients experiencing severe inflammation while in the hospital saw their risk of death skyrocket by 61 percent over the next year post-recovery.

Inflammation raising the risk of death after an illness is a seemingly confusing concept. Typically, inflammation is a natural part of the body's immune response and healing process. However, some illnesses including COVID-19 cause this infection-fighting response to overshoot. Previous studies call this the “cytokine storm,” an event where the immune system starts attacking healthy tissue.

“COVID-19 is known to create inflammation, particularly during the first, acute episode. Our study is the first to examine the relationship between inflammation during hospitalization for COVID-19 and mortality after the patient has ‘recovered’,” Prof. Mainous says.

“Here we show that the stronger the inflammation during the initial hospitalization, the greater the probability that the patient will die within 12 months after seemingly ‘recovering’ from COVID-19.”

There is a way to stop harmful inflammation

The study examined the health records of 1,207 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in the University of Florida health system between 2020 and 2021. Researchers followed them for at least one year after discharge — keeping track of their C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. This protein is secreted by the liver and is a common measure of systemic inflammation.

Results show patients with a more severe case of the virus and those needing oxygen or ventilation had higher CRP levels during their hospitalization. The patients with the highest CRP concentrations had a 61-percent increased risk of death over the next year after their release from the hospital.

However, the team did find that prescribing anti-inflammatory steroids after hospitalization lowered the risk of death by 51 percent. Study authors say their findings show that the current recommendations for care after a coronavirus infection need to change. Researchers recommend more widespread use of orally taken steroids following a severe case of COVID.

These results appear in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

About Chris Melore

Chris Melore has been a writer, researcher, editor, and producer in the New York-area since 2006. He won a local Emmy award for his work in sports television in 2011.

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33 Comments

  1. Laurie S. says:

    It would be interesting to know how many of these people with “long COVID symptoms” got vaccinated AFTER their Covid infection? Hospitals / physicians were pushing the vax even after the illness. Just my opinion, but that is a great way to mess up your immune system; hence the continuous and ongoing inflammatory response of the body.

    1. Douglas Gray says:

      There was a study in Denmark, I believe, which I found disturbing. For the traditional adeno-virus type vaccines, the statistical results, “death from all causes” was better than expected. But for mRNA vaccines, the death rate was the same for unvaccinated vs vaccinated, as those who got mRNA vaccines had many more “deaths from other causes.”

    2. Ian Anderson says:

      Human immune systems took 100,000 yrs to develop by the best engineer in the universe ie nature. To insert a genetic, untested , unsafe genetic trial on a mass basis was both criminal and ridiculous. By then having recipients sign a waiver. Have their govts sign a waiver just proves how f***ing stupid half the population really is! That to me was a revelation. Excuses of my job depended on it to pay bills is a bit like Russian roulette with 4 empty chambers. I just hope to God a viable solution can be found to save those poor bastards that did “Trust” in their govt officials . Do you really think informed doctors didn't inject saline and then sign off the paperwork as there are entitled too! From DownUnder .

    3. JD says:

      The suffering from Long Covid symptoms predate the use of vaccines by many months, so it's a pretty good indication that the vaccines haven't caused Long Covid. In fact, quite a few of the Long Covid sufferers have reported an abatement of their symptoms after getting the vaccines. Check with the Survivors Corp. web site and Facebook page. As for inflammation, one of the functions of the body's ACE2 protein is to regulate inflammation. ACE2 can be found on cells in many parts of the body including the nose, lungs, and heart. ACE2 serves as a pathway through the membrane of the cell. Unfortunately, the Covid 19 virus can use this pathway to invade the cell. The cell responds by shearing the rest of the ACE2 proteins from it's surface and sending an SOS to the immune system. The immune system recognizes ACE2 as an accomplice to Covid's attack and responds accordingly. The protein loses its ability to regulate inflammation and finds itself a target of the immune system's response. Research in Arkansas found antibodies that attack ACE2 in recovered Covid 19 patients a few weeks after recovery. While not definitive, indications are that Covid gets the body to attack itself. A lot of research is ongoing.

      1. Dearborn says:

        Its a Chimera Retrovirus with HIV elements ( 4 snippets for F1 Cleavage site, gp-120, etc.) , basically airborne HIV, it will be temporary in most ( due to it not binding with DNA), but some will not be able to clear the virus from every part of the body.

        https://igorchudov.substack.com/p/israel-chronic-covid-persists-in?s=r

        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7457603/

        And the Classic “withdrawn” ( under pressure) paper highlighting the snippets inserted:

        https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.30.927871v1.full

        The Nobel prize winning Luc Montnigier also found the same elements:

        https://www.gilmorehealth.com/luc-montagnier-insists-that-the-virus-came-out-of-a-lab-in-follow-up-interview/

    4. K says:

      Long COVID is a feel good term for coronavirus’ dormancy in the CNS. Want the real deal forecast ? Become curious about the experience/treatment/ studies conducted for 50+ years by veterinarian scientists. It’s been spot on— it’s well known the family of coronaviruses stick around in your CNS & never go away; the virus become reactivated with various stages/events of life ( age/puberty/illness/re-exposure/stress/) . Livestock/Feline FIP/canine vaccines -are always annual & SOP. While the virus may not be fatal - and someone may have multiple symptomatic/asymptomatic infections, the LT accumulative neurological affects are an insidious. This is not directed at you — but the ridiculous whataboutism & lack of grey matter folks spouting conspiracy theories re vaccine issues is exhausting; while there may be side effects - that’s not what’s driving this bus.

      1. Granitewall says:

        Good comment, I wonder if shockwave /sonar therapy can help as it reaches the CNS where antibiotics do not. Ivermectin also helps to stop reproduction, but is less effective than Hydroxychloroquine with the “Omicron” version.

    5. John Paul says:

      Yes, they got vaccinated before, or after. This is another attempt to place the Vaccine damage on the milder and much safer Covid-19 disease. The manufacturers, distributors including WHO, CDC, US Government, doctors that recommended the vax and others should be in jail.
      I am 71 and had the early version that moved around to the different organs of the body; it was scary but my body dealt with it. A year later when I could get some, I treated myself with Ivermectin and zinc-just in case. No vaccine here. That is the difference.

  2. tommy says:

    Every since getting both Maderno shots I have had arthritis in my thumbs fingers elbows shoulders and knees and neck. My vision has deuterated at an astronomical pace to the point I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravitz effecting my eyes. Never again will I take another “vaccine” government bullshit that is exempt from legal class action

    1. pone says:

      Obviously, your vision is shot because you can't spell for sh*t

    2. Charles Harris says:

      Same here. Massive inflammation of joints and difficulty breathing since the 1st Moderna shot about 1 year ago.
      Worst decision I ever made.
      Never again.

      1. John says:

        Hi Charles, I am in the same boat like you, did you solve the problem with your inflammation joints?

    3. Atta says:

      Bong covid is real
      Get back to work, and put the bong down

      1. Who cares says:

        Oh boy. Stupid comment. Still trotting out the tired old tropes of yesteryear. Stereotype much?

        I've forgotten more than you'll ever know! Think about that for a moment.

        And I smoke weed daily from age 22 to date (48). Come to CO. See if you can keep up with me leading 5.9 trad, skiing double blacks, or even hanging mentally. Given you propensity to stereotype, you won't be able to. Again, I'm almost 50 and you can't do half what I do.....drop the bong nonsense. It's unbecoming. It's also the reason for jury nullification. Get educated.

      2. So .... wasted ... says:

        You have to admit that chronic marijuana use does appear to make users paranoid and hyperdefensive so that they overreact to casual jokes on the internet. Take another hit, dude.

    4. Chi says:

      Myasthenia GRAVIS

  3. Atillathe Hunney says:

    More lies... people are not sick from a flu or a cold. The people who are sick took the Phizer Life Jucice. Or J&J or Moderna or Astrazeneca Miracle Oil. Or whatever.

    These idiots are going to be sick from the ‘vaccines' for the rest of their lives with chronic conditions. They will never get well. Most of them will be dead within one to five years.

    1. joey says:

      Hm.

    2. Brian K says:

      I agree. Go onto Rumble where Covid Vax info is not censored and listen to the doctors that provide hard facts about what the vaccine is doing to people.

  4. Jake Sebanto says:

    Inhaled steroids were recommended by several doctors, at the beginning of Covid but were overruled by Fauci...who insisted that they would do more harm. His ego driven decisions cost hundreds of thousands of lives.

  5. Bob foye says:

    My right leg is useless. Pain from foot to hip is like a bad case of sciatica

  6. Jason says:

    Myself, and every person I know has gotten the vaccine, and boosters. And NONE of us have had any of these debilitating side effects. I don’t doubt some have gotten side effects from them bit I think others like to blame their illnesses on the vaccine. The vaccines work, and keep people from dying when they get the disease. The side effects of the disease are worse than the vaccines side effects. And if someone did get negative side effects from the vaccine, you have to wonder how much worse it would have been for them had they gotten Covid. I laugh when people say we should just let our body fight it off naturally, but say they would take ivermectin or other medications. The vaccine IS the most natural way of letting your body safely fight off a serious disease like Covid.

    1. Brian Kearnaghan says:

      My best friend's wife was a healthy 48 year old with no problems until the Booster Shot. Now she has serious heart problems and has been told that she will continue to have heart problems the rest of her life.

  7. August Jones says:

    Enjoy fighting for years & years to get Social Security Disability while you lose everything, go broke & end up homeless, thrown in jail dozens of times, brutally tortured, and have ten feet of new criminal records the dirty cops will give you for being homeless, that will keep you homeless, labeled insane, and addicted for decades.

  8. UltraMaga says:

    It’s not “long covid” it’s vaccine injury…

  9. Barbara says:

    Glad I vaxxed and boosted!

  10. Stacy says:

    My mom is 81 and not vaccinated, she recently recovered from Covid and was prescribed steroids to address “abnormal nerve activity “ in her brain.

  11. Roger says:

    A vegan diet resulted in a significant 32% lower high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (β, 0.68, 95% confidence interval [0.49–0.94]; P=0.02) when compared with the American Heart Association diet.

  12. Who cares says:

    These are the unintended consequences of a lab created virus. WW3 has started. Its china vs usa and the first salvo was biological. Taiwan is next, then the US dollar collapses......

    1. jNoDamWay says:

      Correction...., Made By The U.S. in a Foreign Based Lab because it the Research IS Illegal inside the U.S. ...

  13. JV JJ says:

    I am sure they are very proud.

  14. flinch60 says:

    I contracted covid-19 in April of 2020... a few months later I began a strong tingling sensation in my hands up to my elbows and in my toes up past my knees... it seems I have a full blown case of peripheral neuropathy that I can't seem to shake... blood tests have yet to come back...