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Our understanding of Long COVID is constantly evolving with new research findings. Stay informed by reading the latest news and participating in upcoming events.
Latest News and Updates
NIH RECOVER makes Long COVID research data easier to access
Secure data from more than 14,000 adults who participated in RECOVER research are now available to authorized researchers through BioData Catalyst® (BDC). BDC is a cloud-based data ecosystem developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to accelerate research on heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.
NIH opens Long COVID trials to evaluate treatments for autonomic nervous system dysfunction
RECOVER is now enrolling adults in two new clinical trials. These trials will study the safety and effectiveness of at least three potential treatments for symptoms like fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue caused by damage to the autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic body functions like heartbeat and blood pressure.
Leadership Q&A: NIH to bolster RECOVER Long COVID research efforts
NIH RECOVER Initiative Co-Leaders Gary Gibbons, M.D., Walter Koroshetz, M.D., and Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H. share progress, and answer questions about investing an additional $515 million and what it means for the Initiative.
NIH to bolster RECOVER Long COVID research efforts through infusion of $515 million
To bolster Long COVID research efforts, NIH is investing an additional $515 million over the next four years into the RECOVER Initiative, a nationwide research program to fully understand, diagnose and treat Long COVID.
Now Available: Dataset for “Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection”
RECOVER research data are now available from the JAMA publication, "Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection", published on May 25, 2023. The data are available as a de-identified datafile consistent with the NIH data sharing policy. Individuals who would like to access the datafile must review the Data Use/Sharing Principles and Code of Conduct for the RECOVER Data Gateway and complete the datafile request form. Once the form is complete, requests will be reviewed and additional information to obtain the data will be provided to requestors.
Changes in the body provide clues for the development of Long COVID
A research team that includes RECOVER researchers found changes in the immune system of people with Long COVID. In a study supported by NIH and the RECOVER Initiative, researchers tested blood drawn from 268 people with and without Long COVID. The resulting data suggest that 3 types of biological changes may contribute to Long COVID and require further investigation:
- Low levels of cortisol, a hormone that helps control the body's response to stress and reduces inflammation
- High levels of viral antigens, or cells that fight viral infections
- Dormant or inactive viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), that become active again
These discoveries help describe changes in the bodies of people with Long COVID and could help inform tests and treatments for Long COVID. The journal Nature has published the study’s complete findings.
RECOVER-NEURO enrolls first participant in trial
RECOVER-NEURO, a clinical trial examining how different interventions can help people with symptoms of cognitive dysfunction related to long COVID, has enrolled its first participant. RECOVER-NEURO is part of the RECOVER initiative, and all RECOVER clinical trials are coordinated by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). This Phase 2 trial will focus on possible treatments to improve working memory, attention, executive functions, and information processing speed for people who have Long COVID.
NIH launches long COVID clinical trials through RECOVER Initiative, opening enrollment
The National Institutes of Health has launched and is opening enrollment for phase 2 clinical trials that will evaluate at least four potential treatments for long COVID, with additional clinical trials to test at least seven more treatments expected in the coming months. Treatments will include drugs, biologics, medical devices, and other therapies. The trials are designed to evaluate multiple treatments simultaneously to identify more swiftly those that are effective. The trials will focus on several of the symptoms described as most burdensome by people experiencing long COVID.
RECOVER-VITAL enrolls first participant in trial
RECOVER-VITAL, a clinical trial examining if the antiviral PAXLOVID (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) improves symptoms for people who have long COVID, has enrolled its first participant. RECOVER-VITAL is part of the RECOVER initiative and all RECOVER clinical trials are coordinated by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). Researchers believe that viral persistence (when the virus that causes COVID-19 stays in the body and causes damage to organs or the immune system to not function properly) may cause long COVID symptoms.
RECOVER Research Q&A: RECOVER “First Look” Adult Cohort Study
On May 25, 2023, RECOVER shared its “first look” into findings from the adult cohort study. The study, titled “Development of a Definition of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection” was peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) . As a result of widespread interest in the study, a Q&A was developed to answer some of the most asked questions about this research and why it matters.
RECOVER study provides scientists with deeper insight into Long COVID
Study identifies most common Long COVID symptoms with aim of improving future diagnostics and treatment
Initial findings from a RECOVER study of nearly 10,000 Americans, many of whom had COVID-19, have uncovered new details about Long COVID. Researchers found in the study, published in JAMA, that certain Long COVID symptoms occurred together, and defined four symptom patterns or clusters that have a range of impacts on patient health. The research team also found that Long COVID was more common and severe in study participants infected before the 2021 Omicron variant.
Obstructive sleep apnea associated with increased risks for Long COVID
Study suggests adults with both the sleep disorder and COVID may benefit from clinical monitoring.
Among people who have had COVID-19, adults with obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to experience long-term symptoms suggestive of Long COVID than those without the sleep disorder, according to a large study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In fact, multiple analyses of electronic health records (EHR) uncovered adults with sleep apnea may have up to a 75% higher risk of developing Long COVID. The findings are published in the journal SLEEP. Read the full news release.
NIH Director’s blog: What Clinical Research Comes Next for Helping People with Long COVID
“I connected with RECOVER to be a part of the answers that I was looking for when I was at my worst.” Long COVID patient and RECOVER representative, Nitza Rochez (Bronx, NY)
People, like Nitza Rochez, who are living with Long COVID—the wide-ranging health issues that can follow an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19—experience disabling symptoms with significant physical, emotional and financial consequences.
The NIH has been engaging and listening to Nitza and others living with Long COVID even before the start of its Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. But now, with the launch of RECOVER, patients and those with affected family or community members have joined researchers, clinicians, and experts in their efforts to unlock the mysteries of Long COVID. All have come together to understand what causes the condition, identify who is most at risk, and determine how to prevent and treat it. Read the full update from Gary Gibbons, M.D., Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D., and Hugh Auchincloss, M.D. at the NIH Director’s Blog.
NIH RECOVER research identifies potential long COVID disparities
Black and Hispanic Americans appear to experience more symptoms and health problems related to long COVID, a lay term that captures an array of symptoms and health problems, than white people, but are not as likely to be diagnosed with the condition, according to new research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings – from two different studies by NIH’s Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative – add to a growing body of research aimed to better understand the complex symptoms and other issues associated with long COVID that millions have experienced. Read the full news release.
RECOVER program takes first steps in advancing toward clinical trials to better understand Long COVID
The NIH RECOVER initiative is preparing several clinical trials to evaluate treatments to improve symptoms related to post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) or Long COVID. A trial protocol recently posted to ClinicalTrials.gov is in the final stages of development and approvals, and is expected to begin enrolling participants in early 2023. This trial is one of several that will test a variety of treatments for Long COVID.
Each trial will examine a treatment that targets one of five specific clusters of symptoms and their potential causes. Through RECOVER study questionnaires, surveys, and discussions with people who have Long COVID, these symptoms were considered most burdensome, most important to address, and the priorities for trial protocols under development.
The protocols for each trial were developed with patients and experts in these symptom areas. RECOVER researchers will also continue to engage patients, caregivers, and community representatives to better understand the impact of Long COVID on different groups.
More information about the clinical trials will be posted on recoverCOVID.org as it becomes available.
RECOVER Research Awards
RECOVER has awarded over $37 million in funding for more than 40 research projects. These studies will quickly advance what we know about how COVID affects different body tissues and organs.
The studies will tell us more about how the many different symptoms develop in people who have had COVID. We’ll also learn about what causes the long-term effects of COVID, known as Long COVID.
The research awards include:
- More funding to researchers whose current studies show promise to quickly advance understanding of what causes lasting symptoms in Long COVID.
- New funding to teams of RECOVER researchers from different specialty areas to support further analysis of tissue samples and data collected in current RECOVER studies.
Duke Selected as RECOVER Clinical Trials Data Coordinating Center
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) has been named the Clinical Trials Data Coordinating Center (DCC) for the NIH RECOVER Initiative. DCRI will partner with the RECOVER Administrative Coordinating Center (ACC), based at RTI International.
Together, the ACC and DCC will oversee the study’s clinical trial infrastructure, establish a patient registry, simultaneously launch prevention and therapeutic multi-intervention studies for both adults and children, and work to accelerate the clinical trial process.
The DCC will align with other, existing COVID research projects, including the RECOVER Consortium and the NIH-funded ACTIV (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines) studies, to help advance the science on the health effects of COVID.
NIH Director’s Blog: Using AI to Advance Understanding of Long COVID Syndrome
One of the most puzzling aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is understanding why some people who have short-term COVID later develop new symptoms. Or they may continue to have symptoms while also developing new ones. These Long COVID symptoms can vary a lot from person to person, which makes it hard to understand why some people are more likely to have Long COVID. In this blog post, NIH Director Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, discusses an important new RECOVER study published in The Lancet Digital Health that used artificial intelligence computer models to help unravel this mystery.
RECOVER Publication: Scientists use Electronic Health Records and Machine Learning to Better Define Long COVID
In a study published in The Lancet Digital Health, Pfaff and colleagues used electronic health record (EHR) data to find more than 100,000 likely cases of Long COVID in an EHR database of more than 13 million people.
The authors examined information from nearly 98,000 COVID-19 patients on demographics, use of health care services, medications, and diagnoses in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database—a national, centralized public database led by NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). They used those data with information from nearly 600 patients at Long COVID clinics to create machine learning (ML) computer models that could identify potential Long COVID patients.
The ML models proved to be accurate and identified about 100,000 people in the database whose profiles matched those of people with Long COVID. The study findings will help researchers understand the characteristics and risk factors linked to Long COVID diagnosis and will also help identify potential Long COVID patients for clinical trials. As more data sources are identified, these models can be improved and adapted based on study needs.
RECOVER Adult Study Protocol Available
The full RECOVER research protocol, or study plan, for adults taking part in RECOVER studies is now available. The study protocol serves as the RECOVER research playbook, enabling researchers to speak the same language, use the same methods, and examine the same types of data. We are finished planning the adult study protocol, but the protocol may change over time as we learn more. If the protocol is updated, we will share it on the RECOVER website, recovercovid.org. A version of the protocol in easy-to-understand language will be available soon.
NIH Builds Large Nationwide Study Population of Tens of Thousands to Support Research on Long-term Effects of COVID-19
The NIH awarded nearly $470 million to build a national study population of diverse research volunteers and support large-scale studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19. The NIH Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative made the parent award to New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York City, which will make multiple subawards to more than 100 researchers at more than 30 institutions and serves as the RECOVER Clinical Science Core.
Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated People Less Likely to Cause "Long COVID"
The evidence shows that vaccines make a big difference in protecting individuals and communities against infection and severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection. New research shows another important reason to get the vaccine. In the event of a breakthrough COVID infection, people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to develop Long COVID. The symptoms of Long COVID include fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, and other debilitating symptoms that can last for months after recovery from an initial infection, whether the person had symptoms or not. Though we still have much to learn about PASC, including Long COVID, vaccines offer a very effective way to protect against COVID-19 and reduce the chances of getting Long COVID if people do get infected.
COVID Long-Haulers Get Disability Civil Rights Protections
On July 26, 2021, the Federal government released guidance that people with PASC and Long COVID can be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. PASC and Long COVID will be considered a disability if the condition or its symptoms “substantially limit” major life activities, such as work or school. Read this fact sheet for more details.
Red, White, Blue And Yellow: COVID-19 Survivors Mark The Fourth of July
Survivors of COVID-19 are raising awareness and sharing their stories on social media using the hashtag #addyellow as part of an effort organized by COVID Survivors for Change. Dr. Marjorie Roberts is a survivor who first got COVID-19 in March 2020. Listen to Dr. Roberts, a self-identified "long hauler," share her experience with Boston NPR News Station's Here & Now radio show.
NIH Infrastructure Awards to Support Research on Post-COVID Conditions
NIH recently announced the Core resource awards that will provide critical infrastructure for new research studies under the RECOVER Initiative. NYU Langone Health was awarded over $14 million in support of the Clinical Science Core, which will build the RECOVER Consortium; harmonize and coordinate data within the Consortium; and develop methods for monitoring protocols, including recruitment, data quality, and safety measures to identify adverse events. The Biostatistics Center at Massachusetts General Hospital was awarded more than $8.6 million in support of the Data Resource Core, which will help enable tracking and searchability of results across all sources of data, from clinical studies to electronic health records.
Media Inquiries
Are you a member of the media or press? Please direct inquiries to the RECOVER@nih.gov inbox. Please place "MEDIA INQUIRY" in your subject line.