Association of SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistence with long COVID, 2023, Chengliang Yang et al

These findings provide further evidence that there might be a correlation between the length of time the virus stays in the body and the risk of long COVID (appendix p 1). Therefore, rapid viral elimination in patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 virus could be crucial. We summarised the approved and ongoing, but unpublished, randomised trials on the nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor) treatment for long COVID (appendix p 3) or persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in post-COVID-19 patients (appendix p 4) listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. The results of a recent observational study on nirmatrelvir with ritonavir and long COVID are promising and intriguing, and demand further investigation. The use of nirmatrelvir with ritonavir might eliminate viral reservoirs and alleviate long COVID symptoms.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(23)00142-X/fulltext

 

If this holds up and is the main factor, wow does it just mirror the peptic ulcers path, except it needed a major worldwide event to make it happen. That path being rejecting by far the most likely explanation. As is tradition.

But it's still missing an effective treatment. Without an easy treatment with antibiotics, I strongly doubt that the correct explanation would have been accepted, and nothing would have changed.