Long COVID: Current Status in Japan and Knowledge About Its Molecular Background

April 2022 in “ Global health & medicine ”

Akira Matsunaga, Shinya Tsuzuki, Shigefumi Morioka, Norio Ohmagari, Yukihito Ishizaka

long COVID SARS-CoV-2 autoimmunity inflammatory reactions psychiatric impairment neurotropic RNA viral proteins persistent infection vaccination

TLDR Long COVID in Japan involves persistent symptoms like fatigue and may be caused by lasting organ damage and prolonged inflammation, with vaccination as a potential treatment.

The document discusses the phenomenon of "long COVID", a condition where patients continue to experience symptoms even after recovering from COVID-19. Common symptoms in Japanese patients, similar to Caucasians, include fatigue, dyspnea, cough, anosmia/dysgeusia, and dyssomnia. The exact cause of long COVID is unclear, but it may be due to direct organ damage from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, autoimmunity, prolonged inflammatory reactions, and psychiatric impairment. The virus is neurotropic, meaning it can affect the nervous system, and its RNA and proteins can be found in multiple organs, including the brain, long after infection. These viral proteins can have various toxic effects on cells, suggesting that persistent infection is a key factor in long COVID. The document also discusses the potential of vaccination as a treatment for long COVID.

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Long COVID: Current Status in Japan and Knowledge About Its Molecular Background

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