Quotes: The pathologies of long COVID, affecting at least 65 million people worldwide, currently focus on four hypotheses: Persistent viral infection, reactivation of dormant viruses (such as common herpes viruses), inflammation-related damage to tissues and organs, and autoimmunity (the body attacking itself). It's this last reason that holds some of the most interesting clues on biological sex differences, said Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, a Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, immunologist who has led numerous research breakthroughs on long COVID since the start of the pandemic. Women have two X chromosomes, for example, and although one is inactivated, the inactivation is incomplete. ... "...If we can order a blood test and say somebody has a long COVID because of these values, then suddenly the diseases become medically explainable," Iwasaki added. This advancement is critical for propelling research forward, she said, refining treatment approaches — including those that target sex-specific hormone, immunity, and inflammation issues — and improving the well-being of those living with long COVID. This hope resonates with scientists like Pollack, who recently led the first National Institutes of Health-sponsored research webinar on less studied pathologies in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID, and with the experiences of individuals like Soares, who navigates through the unpredictable nature of both of these conditions with resilience. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticl...cd=soc_fb_240229_mscpedt_news_mdscp_longcovid
