Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified a set of biomarkers that can predict which COVID-19 patients are most likely to develop long COVID, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. The discovery could enable early intervention for at-risk patients.
The study, which analyzed blood samples from 2,800 COVID-19 patients, found that elevated levels of specific inflammatory markers and autoantibodies were strongly associated with the development of long COVID symptoms.
"This is a paradigm-shifting finding that could transform how we approach long COVID prevention and treatment," said senior author Dr. David R. Walt. "For the first time, we have objective markers that identify high-risk patients before symptoms develop."
The research team is now conducting clinical trials of prophylactic treatments designed to prevent long COVID in patients identified as high-risk based on biomarker profiles. Early results suggest that early intervention with anti-inflammatory treatments may reduce long COVID risk by 40 percent.
"For the millions of Americans still suffering from long COVID, this research offers hope that we can prevent others from experiencing the same fate," said Dr. Monica Gandhi of UCSF, who was not involved in the study.