Many patients with COVID-19 suffer long-term symptoms, breathlessness, pain, “brain fog,” trouble sleeping, headaches, fatigue, chronic cough, depression, and anxiety that linger or appear more than four weeks after initial infection, whether hospitalized or not. The symptoms can be severe enough to interfere with work and daily tasks and are persistent for more than 12 weeks. Currently, the criteria for diagnosing “long COVID” is unclear due to its varying symptoms and pathophysiology. Emerging evidence suggests that long COVID is caused by the immune and inflammatory responses in many severe acute viral infections. Possible explanations include a hidden reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, a misfiring immune system, or a metabolic problem triggered by the infection.
By some estimates, 10% to 30% of COVID-19 patients develop long COVID-19. Also, early data suggest potentially severe long-term consequences of COVID-19 are the development of long COVID-19-related interstitial lung manifestations.
Given the need to develop additional knowledge in this field, in this collection, we aim to address the role of molecular, biochemical, genetic/genomic, and immunological factors contributing to clinical manifestations in long COVID-19 to identify target markers in therapeutics and rehabilitation in affected subjects.
We welcome original translational research and review papers contributing to novel information on the relationship between long COVID-19 and molecular, biochemical, microbiome (co-infection and interaction with other microorganisms), and clinical (including those epidemiological and image studies) research.
Volume I of this Research Topic can be viewed here: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/42092/translational-research-in-severe-covid-19-and-long-term-symptoms-post-covid-19
Many patients with COVID-19 suffer long-term symptoms, breathlessness, pain, “brain fog,” trouble sleeping, headaches, fatigue, chronic cough, depression, and anxiety that linger or appear more than four weeks after initial infection, whether hospitalized or not. The symptoms can be severe enough to interfere with work and daily tasks and are persistent for more than 12 weeks. Currently, the criteria for diagnosing “long COVID” is unclear due to its varying symptoms and pathophysiology. Emerging evidence suggests that long COVID is caused by the immune and inflammatory responses in many severe acute viral infections. Possible explanations include a hidden reservoir of SARS-CoV-2, a misfiring immune system, or a metabolic problem triggered by the infection.
By some estimates, 10% to 30% of COVID-19 patients develop long COVID-19. Also, early data suggest potentially severe long-term consequences of COVID-19 are the development of long COVID-19-related interstitial lung manifestations.
Given the need to develop additional knowledge in this field, in this collection, we aim to address the role of molecular, biochemical, genetic/genomic, and immunological factors contributing to clinical manifestations in long COVID-19 to identify target markers in therapeutics and rehabilitation in affected subjects.
We welcome original translational research and review papers contributing to novel information on the relationship between long COVID-19 and molecular, biochemical, microbiome (co-infection and interaction with other microorganisms), and clinical (including those epidemiological and image studies) research.
Volume I of this Research Topic can be viewed here: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/42092/translational-research-in-severe-covid-19-and-long-term-symptoms-post-covid-19