CD4 T cells were in a more inflammatory state in people with long COVID, suggesting the possibility of viral persistence.
Exercise may be difficult for those with long COVID due to changes on a cellular level caused by the virus.
Long COVID affects individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 but continue to experience symptoms and health issues.
Long COVID, a condition that affects individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 but continue to experience symptoms and health issues, is becoming increasingly common. A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications found that exercise may be difficult for those with long COVID due to changes on a cellular level caused by the virus. The study used Omics approaches and serological assays to understand global immunity and specific immunity against SARS-CoV-2, as well as post-exertional malaise symptoms that can last for days or weeks after even minor activity. The study also found that CD4 T cells were in a more inflammatory state in people with long COVID, suggesting the possibility of viral persistence. Another recent study published in Nature Immunology examined immune dysregulation and adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, finding that long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation, and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response. The study used Omics approaches and serological assays to understand global immunity and specific immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a recent study published in the journal ERJ Open Research found that COVID affects the way oxygen is delivered to the body's tissues, which may lead to limitations in lung and heart function during activity. This highlights the importance of returning to running gradually after COVID.
Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation, and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2.
`Omics` approaches and serological assays were used in the study to understand global immunity and specific immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
Accuracy
COVID can have a physiological affect on the body that makes exercise feel difficult even when you're over the virus.
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that long COVID patients exhibit significant immune-associated changes and phenotypic alterations in T cells and other immune cells. However, they do not provide any evidence to support this claim. Secondly, the author states that individuals with long COVID show a significantly lower frequency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ or cytotoxic T cells compared to those who have fully recovered from COVID-19. However, they do not provide any evidence to support this claim either. Thirdly, the author claims that sex differences were observed in long COVID patients with female patients having lower frequencies of naive helper and cytotoxic T cells and higher levels of terminally differentiated effector memory helper and cytotoxic T cell expressing cytolytic markers and homing receptors for inflammatory tissue. However, they do not provide any evidence to support this claim either.
The author claims that long COVID patients exhibit significant immune-associated changes and phenotypic alterations in T cells and other immune cells but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing a study published in the journal Nature Immunology as evidence for their claims about long COVID patients' immune dysregulation. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing persistent symptoms and long-term impacts on cardiovascular, neurological, and muscular health associated with long COVID. The article also contains a dichotomous depiction of SARS-CoV-2 infection causing immune perturbations that lead to long-term conditions in some patients but not others.
The author uses an appeal to authority by citing a study published in the journal Nature Immunology as evidence for their claims about long COVID patients' immune dysregulation. For example, they state: 'Recent studies on long COVID indicate that immune perturbations caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection could be responsible for the long-term conditions.'
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing persistent symptoms and long-term impacts on cardiovascular, neurological, and muscular health associated with long COVID. For example, they state: 'Long COVID continues to be a significant health concern, with persistent symptoms such as fatigue, myalgia, dyspnea.'
The article contains a dichotomous depiction of SARS-CoV-2 infection causing immune perturbations that lead to long-term conditions in some patients but not others. For example, they state: 'Although 10% or more SARS-CoV-2 infections result in long COVID, the etiology and pathophysiology continue to remain unclear.'
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses a study that aimed to understand the etiology of long COVID using blood samples from patients with and without clear long COVID clinical trajectories. The authors used an omics approach to characterize global immunity and specific immunity against SARS-CoV-2, specifically looking at T cells in matched cohorts of COVID-19 patients with long COVID and those who had completely recovered. They found evidence of immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation in the distribution of T cells exhibiting global differences indicative of continued immune responses. The study also showed sex-specific signals, where female patients with long COVID had lower frequencies of naive helper and cytotoxic T cells and higher levels of terminally differentiated effector memory helper and cytotoxic T cell expressing cytolytic markers and homing receptors for inflammatory tissue. The authors also found significant gene expression changes in not only the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells but also in B cells and monocytes, with phenotypic perturbations in the helper and cytotoxic T cells overall and those specifically against SARS-CoV-2. These findings suggest that patients with long COVID exhibit significant immune-associated changes and phenotypic alterations in T cells and other immune cells that could be the mechanistic basis for the persistent symptoms associated with long COVID.
The study found evidence of immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation in the distribution of T cells exhibiting global differences indicative of continued immune responses.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the immune dysregulation in long COVID patients and how it could be responsible for the long-term conditions. The author mentions several topics related to immunity such as interferon signaling pathway, T cells, B cells, monocytes/macrophages and HLA-DR human leukocyte antigen DR isotype.
Exercise can be bad for people with long COVID as it compromises the mitochondria and causes severe muscle damage, an impaired immune response, and microclots in the blood.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article does not contain any formal fallacies. However, there are several informal fallacies present in the form of dichotomous depictions and appeals to authority.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author Korin Miller has a conflict of interest on the topic of long COVID as she is reporting for Prevention.com which is owned by Meredith Corporation that owns multiple pharmaceutical companies.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of long COVID as they are reporting on research conducted by Dr. Thomas Russo and Dr. William Schaffner who have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies that may benefit from treatments for long COVID.
Long COVID may involve a low-level viral persistence
CD4 T cells were in a more inflammatory state in people with long COVID
`Omics` approaches and serological assays were used to understand global immunity and specific immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
Post-exertional malaise is having symptoms like exhaustion and brain fog 12 to 48 hours after even minor activity that can last for days or weeks.
Accuracy
COVID can have a physiological affect on the body that makes exercise feel difficult even when you're over the virus.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that long COVID may involve a low-level viral persistence based on findings from an omics study. However, this claim is not supported by any evidence presented in the article and appears to be speculative at best.
The sentence 'Our analysis suggested an improper crosstalk between the cellular and humoral adaptive immunity in LC' implies that there is a causal relationship between this crosstalk and long COVID. However, no evidence is presented to support this claim.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing a study conducted at the Gladstone Institutes and UCSF as evidence for their claims about long COVID involving viral persistence. However, this study only provides preliminary findings and does not definitively prove that viral persistence is involved in all cases of long COVID. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing symptoms associated with long COVID as
The team analyzed immune cells from the blood of 43 people with and without long COVID, focusing particularly on T cells.
<br>CD4 T cells were in a more inflammatory state in people with long COVID. Meanwhile, CD8 T cells showed signs of exhaustion preferentially in people with long COVID.
Bias
(80%)
The article discusses a study that suggests long COVID may involve viral persistence. The author of the article is Malorye Branca and it was published on Inside Precision Medicine's website. The study analyzed immune cells from the blood of individuals with clear LC (long-term infection) and non-LC clinical trajectories, eight months post infection using omic assays and serology to deeply characterize global SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity in these samples. The findings suggest that CD4 T cells were in a more inflammatory state while CD8 T cells showed signs of exhaustion preferentially in people with long COVID, which is typically seen in chronic viral infections such as HIV.
CD4 T cells were found to be in a more inflammatory state
CD8 T cells showed signs of exhaustion preferentially
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Malorye Branca has a conflict of interest on the topic of long COVID as she is affiliated with Gladstone Institutes and University of California San Francisco (UCSF), which may have financial ties to companies or industries related to long COVID. Additionally, Dr. Kailin Yin, who was involved in the study mentioned in the article, has a professional affiliation with UCSF.
Dr. Kailin Yin is associated with UCSF.
Malorye Branca is an affiliate of Gladstone Institutes and University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
COVID can have a physiological affect on the body that makes exercise feel difficult even when you're over the virus.
Researchers point out the importance of returning to running gradually after COVID.
A new study in ERJ Open Research suggests that COVID affects the way oxygen is delivered to the body's tissues, which may lead to limitations in lung and heart function during activity.
Accuracy
The connection between COVID and reduced exercise capacity has been well established, but researchers still don't have all the answers on why this happens.
In the study, 55 participants were evaluated for post-COVID exercise intolerance, including 41 who showed no evidence of heart or lung limitations. Yet all had reported reduced exercise capacity since having the virus.
Pulmonary and cardiovascular function showed up as normal on standard tests such as CT scans, echocardiograms, and cardio stress tests.
Researchers found deficiencies in the way oxygen was being delivered throughout the body only when participants underwent additional screening through an iCPET test.
The prevailing belief has been that exercise intolerance after COVID is tied to deconditioning. However, this study contradicts that hypothesis and shows there's a clear physiological reason instead.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that COVID can have a physiological affect on the body that makes exercise feel difficult even when you're over the virus. However, this statement implies that all people who had COVID will experience reduced exercise capacity which is not true as some may recover without any issues with their physical fitness.
The article quotes Dr. Peter Kahn stating 'We found deficiencies in the way oxygen was being delivered throughout the body'. This quote suggests that there are no other factors contributing to post-COVID exercise intolerance, but previous research has shown that deconditioning can also play a role.
The article states 'COVID can have a physiological affect on the body that makes exercise feel difficult even when you're over the virus.' However, this statement implies that all people who had COVID will experience reduced exercise capacity which is not true as some may recover without any issues with their physical fitness.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the work of other researchers without providing any evidence or context for their findings. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the negative effects of COVID on exercise capacity and recovery.
The connection between COVID and reduced exercise capacity has been well established at this point
Researchers still don't have all the answers on why this happens.
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the physiological effects of COVID on exercise intolerance and how it affects oxygen delivery to the body's tissues. The study found that even when participants showed no evidence of heart or lung limitations on standard tests such as CT scans, echocardiograms, and cardio stress tests, they still had deficiencies in the way oxygen was being delivered throughout their bodies during an invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test. This contradicts the prevailing belief that exercise intolerance after COVID is tied to deconditioning.
The culprit also turned out to be reduced oxygen delivery to the muscles.
The study found that even when participants showed no evidence of heart or lung limitations on standard tests such as CT scans, echocardiograms, and cardio stress tests, they still had deficiencies in the way oxygen was being delivered throughout their bodies during an invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Elizabeth Millard has a conflict of interest on the topic of COVID-19 as she is reporting for Runner's World which is owned by Hearst Communications. Additionally, Elizabeth Millard may have a personal relationship with Peter Kahn who was quoted in the article.
Elizabeth Millard reports for Runner's World which is owned by Hearst Communications.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Elizabeth Millard has a conflict of interest on the topic of COVID-19 as she is reporting for Runner's World. She also has a financial tie with iCPET and Yale School of Medicine which could influence her coverage on their products.
