A New Clinical Trial at the Germans Trias Hospital
The Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital, known as Can Ruti, is about to start an innovative clinical trial to address the persistent effects of Covid-19 in patients. Cora Loste, a doctor and researcher in the Infectious Diseases Service, has confirmed that the study will begin at the end of this month, if everything goes as normal. This initiative is considered a significant milestone after two years of fighting the disease.
Current Research on Cerebrospinal Fluid
Currently, a first trial is being carried out at Can Ruti that analyzes cerebrospinal fluid obtained through lumbar punctures. The aim is to determine whether this fluid presents distinctive characteristics in patients with persistent COVID, which could explain symptoms such as neurocognitive alterations, headache and other neurological effects.
Associated Symptoms and the Need for Treatment
The most common symptoms include mental gaps, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, dizziness and motor problems. Loste has expressed concern about the lack of curative treatments currently available, stressing that research on persistent Covid could have important implications for other chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.
Understanding Persistent Covid: Hypotheses and Theories
Although the exact cause of persistent COVID-19 has not been identified, there are several hypotheses exploring how it works. One of them suggests that there may be a small reservoir of the virus that persists after the acute phase of infection. Loste mentioned that genetic and hormonal factors could play a role, as well as the patient’s immunity at the time of infection.
Possible Effects at the Cellular Level
Other theories point to the reactivation of other viruses or mitochondrial stress as potential causes of the symptoms. This stress can lead to fatigue and breathing difficulties, as many patients who experience a feeling of suffocation do not have lung damage, but rather the difficulties come from the diaphragmatic muscles.
Impact on Daily Life: A Subpandemic
Data indicate that the group most affected by persistent covid is women, with a proportion that ranges between 75 and 80 percent. This disease presents itself as a very disabling and invalidating condition, which often prevents those affected from continuing with their work activities. Patients define their experience as a ‘subpandemic’, with approximately 1,500 cases diagnosed in Catalonia alone.
The current situation underscores the urgent need for more research and effective treatments to address the challenges posed by persistent COVID, which continues to affect the quality of life of thousands of people.