Research to Examine Potential Link Between Concussions, Long COVID
The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. In the following months, countries around the world shut down their borders as the virus infected millions of people.
Although the virus had a high survival rate of more than 90% in the United States, thousands of patients across the country began reporting coronavirus symptoms that lasted more than two months. Christened long COVID, this condition left patients suffering from symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction, shortness of breath, headache, chest pain and fatigue for up to three months after they contracted COVID-19.
According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, long COVID has potentially impacted up to 23 million U.S. citizens and pushed almost 1 million of them out of work.
An upcoming Denver university study seeks to determine whether there was a connection between a history of concussions and increased chances of developing long COVID. Researchers also hope that finding out more about the connection between concussions and long COVID-19 could open up new avenues for treating long-term coronavirus symptoms.
University of Denver professor Daniel Linseman posited that a brain that has already been subject to concussive stress will be more likely to develop long-COVID symptoms. Linseman studies injuries and diseases that cause cognitive degeneration. He and other researchers from the Englewood clinic Resilience Code and National Jewish Health will now have to enroll participants who have a history of concussions and those who don’t to see if Linseman’s theory holds water.
Linseman explained that some of the markers present in the blood of patients infected with the coronavirus are similar to the blood markers in concussed patients. Based on this, he theorizes that concussions and long-COVID may have some similarities in their underlying biology even if the two conditions affect patients in different ways.
Figuring out the biology behind these two conditions could make it possible for further research into drugs capable of treating the inflammation that is linked to long COVID. Linseman said that concussions leave lasting damage to the brain, making mitochondrial cells less efficient and causing them to produce more free radicals that damage other brain cells.
Chronic inflammation due to repeated concussions can also weaken the blood-brain barrier and make the brain more vulnerable to pollution and infection.
The upcoming study will focus more on the neurological symptoms associated with long COVID, such as brain fog, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances and how a history of concussion increases one’s chances of developing long COVID.
Meanwhile, entities such as Odyssey Health Inc. (OTC: ODYY) are also focused on concussions but from a different angle. These companies want to develop novel treatments that target concussion and its neural effects because no current medication is specifically designed to address this clinical need.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Odyssey Health Inc. (OTC: ODYY) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ODYY
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. In the following months, countries around the world shut down their borders as the virus infected millions of people.
Although the virus had a high survival rate of more than 90% in the United States, thousands of patients across the country began reporting coronavirus symptoms that lasted more than two months. Christened long COVID, this condition left patients suffering from symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction, shortness of breath, headache, chest pain and fatigue for up to three months after they contracted COVID-19.
According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, long COVID has potentially impacted up to 23 million U.S. citizens and pushed almost 1 million of them out of work.
An upcoming Denver university study seeks to determine whether there was a connection between a history of concussions and increased chances of developing long COVID. Researchers also hope that finding out more about the connection between concussions and long COVID-19 could open up new avenues for treating long-term coronavirus symptoms.
University of Denver professor Daniel Linseman posited that a brain that has already been subject to concussive stress will be more likely to develop long-COVID symptoms. Linseman studies injuries and diseases that cause cognitive degeneration. He and other researchers from the Englewood clinic Resilience Code and National Jewish Health will now have to enroll participants who have a history of concussions and those who don’t to see if Linseman’s theory holds water.
Linseman explained that some of the markers present in the blood of patients infected with the coronavirus are similar to the blood markers in concussed patients. Based on this, he theorizes that concussions and long-COVID may have some similarities in their underlying biology even if the two conditions affect patients in different ways.
Figuring out the biology behind these two conditions could make it possible for further research into drugs capable of treating the inflammation that is linked to long COVID. Linseman said that concussions leave lasting damage to the brain, making mitochondrial cells less efficient and causing them to produce more free radicals that damage other brain cells.
Chronic inflammation due to repeated concussions can also weaken the blood-brain barrier and make the brain more vulnerable to pollution and infection.
The upcoming study will focus more on the neurological symptoms associated with long COVID, such as brain fog, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances and how a history of concussion increases one’s chances of developing long COVID.
Meanwhile, entities such as Odyssey Health Inc. (OTC: ODYY) are also focused on concussions but from a different angle. These companies want to develop novel treatments that target concussion and its neural effects because no current medication is specifically designed to address this clinical need.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Odyssey Health Inc. (OTC: ODYY) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ODYY
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the BioMedWire website applicable to all content provided by BMW, wherever published or re-published: http://BMW.fm/Disclaimer
