A long Covid blood test raises hopes of finding a cure
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SNSF-funded researchers have found a blood protein signature that is specific to long Covid. This could facilitate the development of targeted treatments.
Onur Boyman's team at the University of Zurich has identified immune defence molecules that remain activated in certain patients with Covid after the acute phase of the infection. With this research, funded by the "Covid-19" National Research Programme and two other SNSF grants, the scientists have shown that these molecules attack healthy cells in the body and are therefore probably the root cause of long Covid symptoms. This discovery paves the way for diagnosis by blood test and targeted therapeutic approaches to the chronic disease.