Researchers within the RECOVER Initiative share their progress to understand, treat, and prevent Long COVID through research publications. Follow the latest science from RECOVER’s research studies below.
Visit the Research Summaries page to learn about RECOVER’s Long COVID research in a format that’s easy to understand.
Short SummaryRECOVER researchers reviewed ongoing, planned, and potential future treatment options for Long COVID, based on our current understanding of the biological causes of Long COVID symptoms and conditions. The purpose of this study is to help guide future research by summarizing the current state of the science as a call for urgent and efficient research to help the millions who continue to suffer from Long COVID around the world.
Researchers identified a number of studies that attempted to treat the various symptoms and conditions of Long COVID that may be useful to consider or incorporate when designing a larger research project aimed at treating the underlying biological cause of those symptoms and conditions.
Short SummaryRECOVER researchers conducted a detailed review of published papers that try to explain how the COVID-19 virus causes the symptoms and conditions associated with Long COVID. Researchers compared how Long COVID is similar to other long-standing viral conditions (such as Epstein Barr virus, commonly known as Mono) to see if there is a common method used by COVID-19 and these other viral conditions to cause the associated symptoms and conditions.
RECOVER researchers believe that there is no one common method by which the COVID-19 virus causes the symptoms and conditions associated with Long COVID. Because there was no observed common method causing these Long COVID symptoms, researchers recommend that treatments are customized to each individual patient's specific symptoms and conditions.
Short SummaryRECOVER researchers looked at the use of a code to diagnose Long COVID in electronic health records (EHRs). They used EHR data from over 8,000 people and compared people who had the ICD-10 code for Long COVID (which is U09.9) in their EHR on or after October 1, 2021. They also looked at other codes in their EHR for health conditions, symptoms, tests, and treatments within 60 days after their Long COVID diagnosis.
Researchers found that many doctors use the Long COVID code along with other codes. People with Long COVID had a mix of symptoms and other health conditions, tests, and treatments. This suggests there may be different types of Long COVID. The researchers concluded that for now, doctors should look at a person’s mix of symptoms and other health conditions to diagnose Long COVID.
Short SummaryIn this study, RECOVER researchers used a computer program to identify possible types of Long COVID based on electronic health records (EHRs). They used the computer program to review EHRs of people diagnosed with Long COVID and group them based on patterns in their symptoms and health conditions.
The computer program found 6 different types of Long COVID, which were related to 1) many symptoms and health conditions with unusual lab test results, 2) the lungs, 3) the brain, 4) the heart, 5) pain and feeling weak and tired (fatigue), and 6) many symptoms and conditions with pain. Each type of Long COVID also differed based on health conditions people had before COVID and how severe their COVID infection was. This research could help identify people with different types of Long COVID to better diagnose and treat them and invite them to join research studies.
Short SummaryRECOVER researchers wanted to learn if there are different types of Long COVID based on symptoms and health problems that often happen together. Researchers used data from electronic health records (EHRs) of about 35,000 people diagnosed with COVID. The EHRs were from 2 healthcare systems in PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network. They used a computer program to look for patterns in people’s new symptoms and health problems that started 30 to 180 days after having COVID.
The researchers found 4 main types of Long COVID based on symptoms and health problems that happen together. The 4 types of Long COVID are related to the 1) heart and kidneys, 2) breathing, sleep, and anxiety, 3) muscles and nerves, and 4) digestive tract and breathing. This research could help define types of Long COVID to give people more specific diagnoses and treatment plans.
