Open UK: Oxford: Convalescent inflammatory conditions: a metabolomic analysis [Long Covid study]

Information from the ethics approval result, https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and...flammatory-conditions-a-metabolomic-analysis/

Research summary

21% of men and 24% of women are still thought to suffer from COVID-19 symptoms after 5 weeks with 1-3 in 100 still significantly at 3 months. Patient groups have termed this condition ‘long COVID’. Whilst a range of persistent multi-system problems, serious complications including heart attacks and strokes, and other conditions are more likely in people with pre-existing medical conditions or who were hospitalised, long COVID also affects individuals who were fit and well, and/or who experienced very mild acute symptoms.

There seem to be several different groups of individuals who experience long COVID: those who were initially hospitalised with severe lung damage who now have ongoing breathing problems; those who were not initially hospitalised but now have evidence of damage to one or more organs; and those who have persistent symptoms but do not seem to have any damaged organs. There is currently no accurate or easy way of knowing which patients with acute COVID-19 infection will develop persistent symptoms, nor which of these groups they will fall into. Similarly, whilst an inflammatory process (disruption to the immune system) has been proposed as a cause, this it still unclear. Although research is ongoing, we also don’t know how best to treat or manage the condition.

This study aims to use patterns of metabolites (small, soluble molecules) in the blood and urine, to try and generate a test to determine if someone has long COVID, establish if there are true differences between individuals with the condition, and generate a better understanding of likely underlying mechanisms – including indications of organ damage.

Twitter thread, which includes copies of the participant sheet

gives Izzy at metabolomics@pharm.ox.ac.uk as the contact.

Open to: age 18+, who have had a positive Covid test, and either have no remaining symptoms after 6 weeks or more OR who received a Long Covid diagnosis and still has symptoms.

Need to live in Thames Valley region, or be willing to visit University of Oxford twice to give blood.