Written by: Shruthi Aravindan Edited by: Esther Melamed COVID-19 infection is often characterized by a cytokine storm which contributes to the high levels of inflammation. While COVID-19 is most commonly a respiratory infection, there are often symptoms that manifest in other parts of the body and in conjunction with multiple organ failure in severe cases. One of the often-overlooked effects of COVID-19 is on the enteric nervous system (ENS), which is composed of neurons that line the walls of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The gut microbiome is a collection of microbes that live in …
New Frontiers in COVID-19 and Autoimmunity
Written by: Chumeng Wang Edited by: Esther Melamed Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and clinicians have sought to determine predispositions that may put individuals at higher risk for severe disease. As the virus spread and information became available about typical recovery times, more questions arose as some patients reported symptoms of Long COVID, or Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), in which symptoms like fatigue, headache, and smell/taste changes can persist for weeks-months after initial infection not only in those who had been hospitalized, but also …
How Does Gender Impact Long COVID?
Written by: Akshara Ramasamy Edited by: Esther Melamed Among the several health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a few medical challenges remain, including understanding the etiology of long COVID. Long COVID, also known as Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), refers to a wide range of new or worsening health problems that patients may encounter after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 for more than four weeks.1,2 As researchers strive to understand who is more susceptible for long COVID-19, data shows that women are more likely than males to develop it.2,3 Gender differences have been …