The Truth About Long Covid Is Complicated. Better Treatment Isn’t.
By Adam Gaffney and Zackary Berger
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Yet when the term “long Covid” is used by the public, it can mean something quite different from damage inflicted by critical illness or the persistence of Covid symptoms.
Most people are instead referring to a chronic illness following a mild infection with a complex of multiple symptoms, including brain fog, severe fatigue, chronic pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, gastrointestinal symptoms and much more. But the link between SARS-CoV-2 and this syndrome is complicated and not entirely clear.
One
peer-reviewed study of people who reported long Covid symptoms noted that most of those who were tested for antibodies that provide evidence of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection had negative results. The level of symptoms, moreover, was virtually the same whether the person was positive or negative for antibodies. A second study, not peer reviewed, of adults referred for long Covid management similarly reported that no Covid antibodies were found in
61 percent of them, again without differences in symptoms whether testing was positive or negative.
Antibody testing has some level of false negatives, and antibody levels can wane; however,
most people
with aprior infection have antibodies for some time, so such testing remains informative overall.
Another non-peer-reviewed
studyfound that the rates of adolescents reporting symptoms such as fatigue and memory loss that are often attributed to long Covid were the same among those who had a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who had not been infected, as ascertained by antibody testing.
This suggests that the syndrome may have multiple causes, even within a single person. Psychosocial strain could be one contributing factor, particularly in light of the
sharp increase in psychological distress amid the tragedy of the pandemic.
Yet in many ways, the precise cause of these symptoms doesn’t matter. We need to make our schools and workplaces safe and to take other public health measures to contain viral spread and buy time to vaccinate the population. That is true regardless of the nature of the connection between SARS-CoV-2 and this form of long Covid.
The causes of these illnesses do matter when it comes to treatment. For instance, if we understand this form of long Covid as a complex chronic illness, a biopharmaceutical solution is unlikely, and there may be no single cure. Rather, over time, a compassionate, humanistic team of professionals from multiple disciplines, including rehabilitation, can validate patients’ experiences and collaborate with them to improve their health in incremental yet significant ways.
No matter what the underlying cause and whether there is evidence of prior infection, long Covid, even among those with little or no evidence of previous infection, brings significant suffering, including several reported deaths by suicide. Action and not just acknowledgment is needed.
We must move beyond a false mind-body dichotomy that stigmatizes physical symptoms that are bound up with mental suffering. We need more support for the vulnerable and those lacking basic needs, so often those most harmed by chronic illness. This makes the need for universal health care even more urgent to ensure care for all with equal consideration of mental health.
Addressing the Covid-19 pandemic and long Covid itself requires not just containing the outbreak but also providing adequate social supports and medical care for all. The Covid-19 pandemic cannot be undone, but we can take steps to mitigate its impact — and to make our health care system a better one in its wake.
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Dr. Adam Gaffney is an assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School.
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Dr. Zackary Berger is an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
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