"You're not just becoming disabled, you're realizing how easily society at large and people in your life will abandon you when you cannot offer them things. - Elle Seibert, 31-year-old long COVID patient experiencing debilitating fatigue and cardiac symptoms since 2020"
"What causes long COVID is an abnormal immune system response [plus] dysregulation of the nervous system. - Dr. Caitlin McAuley, director of the Keck Medicine of USC's COVID Recovery Clinic, one of two dedicated clinics in L.A. County"
"Researchers have also found that long COVID patients are more than twice as likely as people without the condition to have particles of the SARS-CoV-2 virus lingering in their blood - remnants of original infection that could be causing ongoing inflammation."
Long COVID is a complex, chronic condition triggered by viral infection that causes multiple organ system dysfunction, including fatigue, cardiovascular problems, cognitive issues, and pain. The condition results from abnormal immune system response and nervous system dysregulation. Researchers discovered long COVID patients carry lingering SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in their blood, potentially causing ongoing inflammation. Despite the county's declaration ending the COVID-19 emergency, thousands of residents continue suffering from this life-altering yet often invisible disability. The relative newness of long COVID offers few medical answers and limited support systems. Patients face social abandonment and struggle with societal understanding of their condition, which affects people across demographics including women and Hispanic populations.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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