Most COVID-19 cases are mild, but many still lead to life-threatening complications. At a Glance: - Researchers found that fragments of SARS-CoV-2 left behind after the immune system fights off infection may continue to trigger immune responses. - The findings help explain some unusual aspects of COVID-19 and suggest a previously unappreciated way that viruses can make people sick.
What you need to know In a small study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), severe cases of COVID-19 were shown to cause long-lasting changes to the immune system. Researchers found that severe cases of COVID-19 can change which genes are turned on or off in certain stem cells. The study focused on stem cells that produce white blood cells, a part of the immune system. The stem cells of people who recovered from severe COVID-19 produced more white blood cells — which then produced more inflammatory signals — than the cells of healthy counterparts.
What you need to know: In a small study supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), severe cases of COVID-19 were shown to cause long-lasting changes to the immune system. Researchers found that severe cases of COVID-19 can change which genes are turned on or off in certain stem cells. The study focused on stem cells that produce white blood cells, a part of the immune system. The stem cells of people who recovered from severe COVID-19 produced more white blood cells — which then produced more inflammatory signals — than the cells of healthy counterparts.
NIH-funded research sheds light on the link between COVID-19 infection and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can directly infect the arteries of the heart and cause the fatty plaque inside arteries to become highly inflamed, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findingsexternal link, published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research, may help explain why certain people who get COVID-19 have a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease, or if they already have it, generate more heart-related complications.
At a Glance Prior infection with a common cold coronavirus may predispose some people to develop Long COVID. The findings identify a potential marker that could help identify people at high risk of developing Long COVID.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19), is a transmissible virus that infects the upper and lower respiratory tract, leading to a high viral titer in saliva and respiratory secretions.