A paper published in the Cell Press journal Trends in Immunology on December 4, highlights the importance of studying Long Covid in relation to other post-acute infection syndromes or chronic illnesses.
Eureka Alert
Summary
- The authors present that Long Covid should not be viewed as a completely new disease, as it may be part of a long-recognised pattern of “post-acute infection syndromes” seen throughout history.
- A major challenge remains surrounding the underlying causes — whether it be viral persistence, immune dysregulation, or other mechanisms — this undoubtedly presents difficulty in the development of biomarkers and targeted treatments.
- The authors call for research based upon historical evidence, and hope a wider perspective may reduce stigma, improve understanding, and lead to better therapies and treatments for the diseases.
Extracts
By analyzing historical accounts of other epidemics, they say, researchers can gain important perspective on the profound effects of these chronic illnesses—with the goal of informing more effective interventions for treating them.
Post-acute infection syndromes are a long-overlooked but important area of medicine, and long COVID represents a contemporary manifestation of a phenomenon that’s been described for over a century.
Recognizing that these conditions are not new reframes long COVID within a broader historical and biological context and emphasizes the urgent need to understand their mechanisms.
Co-author Christine Miller of Yale School of Medicine.
Further Information
- Driving discovery: The ME Association invests £1.1m into pioneering research programme! | Dec 10, 2025
- Imperial College London: £1.1m awarded to investigate links between ME/CFS and Long Covid | Dec 10, 2025
