Possible cause of Long COVID has been discovered.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

Image text: Japanese researchers have found a possible explanation for long COVID. They discovered that small fragments of the coronavirus's genetic material can remain deep behind the nose, in an area called the epipharynx, for at least six months after infection. These viral remnants irritate the immune system and may cause fatigue, coughing, dizziness, and "brain fog."

The researchers used an old Japanese treatment called epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT), where the area is swabbed once a week with a cotton swab dipped in 1% zinc chloride solution. After three months, the patients showed:
- significantly fewer viral remnants
- lower levels of inflammatory substances
- noticeably reduced symptoms
The treatment appears to both remove the lingering virus and calm the inflammation. A larger clinical trial is now underway in Japan to confirm the results. This discovery could lead to more targeted treatments that address the root cause of long COVID symptoms instead of merely managing them.

Comments

[forests_of_fire]

awesome. here's hoping the studies continue to back this up.

[sabethea]

Wow, fascinating, though frustrating if true that it won’t have helpful corollary information for people with ME/CFS, which a lot of us were hoping for. But if it can help a lot of people with not too much difficulty then *fingers tightly crossed*

[lb_lee]

Sneak: That would be amazing! I hope we get to learn more and help folks.