What we know about Long Covid, the long-term effects of the Coronavirus
What we know about Long Covid, the long-term effects of the Coronavirus
The use of antiviral pills paxlovid, In addition to reducing the risk of hospitalization and death of the most fragile subjects infected with Sar-Cov-2, could also reduce the risk by up to 26% long covid in some categories of patients. That’s what emerges from a new study by researchers at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
The research, published last Saturday on the server medRxiv but not yet in peer-reviewed medical journals, analyzed the electronic records of more than 56,000 veterans, with an average age of 65, who had Covid-19 between March 1 and June 30, 2022, including more than 9,000 who were treated with Paxlovid for me first five days by the manifestation of symptoms. All had at least one risk factor for developing the severe form of the disease, such as advanced age and diabetes.
It was found that patients who took antiviral had a 26% reduced risk of developing some typical symptoms of Long Covid, such as heart disease, blood disorders, fatigue, liver disease, kidney disease, muscle pain, neurocognitive deterioration and shortness of breath. However, the link between Paxlovid intake and the risk of coughing and diabetes has not been specified.
“Paxlovid reduces the risk of severe illness from Covid-19 in the acute phase and we now have evidence that it may also help reduce the risk of Covid-19,” explained Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, head of research and development at VA St. Louis Health Care System, which carried out the study, adding that “this treatment can be an important resource in addressing the serious problem of this condition that plagues millions of people In all world”.
The study has several Limits, including the fact that the majority of people who participated in the survey were white and male, which may lessen its relevance more broadly. Remember that the medicine is manufactured by pfizer and works best when taken within the first 5 days after symptoms appear. “The totality of the evidence – says the study – suggests the need to improve the use of antivirals in the acute phase as a means not only to prevent progression to serious disease, but also to reduce the risk of adverse post-acute health outcomes” .
“This study is very important,” he told Washington Post Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunobiology and molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Yale University. “It has public health implications that are quite relevant today.”
Also Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine and executive vice president of Scripps Research, commented on Twitter about the report, calling it “a major step forward”, also because “we don’t have any validated treatments for the treatment of Long Covid. Rigorous, randomized and studies definitive clinical trials are long overdue”.
Source: Fan Page IT
Ashley Root is an experienced business journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in economics and finance, she has a deep understanding of the inner workings of the business world and is able to provide insightful and informative analysis on a wide range of topics.
