Long COVID is and will continue to affect the lives of tens of millions of Americans and people throughout the globe. Depending on the research, estimates of anywhere from 10 up to even 30% of people ever infected with COVID have or had Long COVID (~ 33-66 million) at any given time. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has mastered the art of survival better than any other virus in history. It is programmed to survive and override many mechanisms that threaten its survival including autophagy and mitophagy, leading to the formation of senescent cells throughout the body. The spike protein is a magnet for any cell it comes into contact with, binding to cells throughout the body via a multitude of different host cell receptors. In essence, the spike protein is an age accelerant.
When you are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (i.e. Omicron variants in particular) there are 10 billion virions produced during an infection. Then take that number and multiply by 300 – that is the amount of spike protein that is produced (3 trillion) during that same infection. These spike proteins then access the cells of our body affecting all different organ systems as seen in autopsy studies: embedding themselves in the skull bone marrow, brain tissue, endothelium (lining of blood vessel wall), kidney tissue, lining of the gut, and the list goes on. Viral reservoirs inside the tissue that researchers around the world are detecting include whole virus and fragments of the virus such as spike (S protein) or nucleocapsid (N protein). Whole virus replicates inside the cell- virus is shed and spike protein is cleaved from the virus starting the whole vicious cycle over again. This is why elimination of virus and viral fragments is so important and a cornerstone to the treatment of Long COVID.
This presentation will review pathophysiology of the SARS CoV 2 and how it translates into Long COVID impacting all organ systems. Review various interventions and treatment strategies focused on removing persistent virus and viral fragments such as S protein. Explore prophylactic methods in the face of an ever changing virus that knows no seasonality that will continue to infect the population with some falling ill multiple times per year.
Session Learning Objectives:
1.) Understand the underlying pathophysiological drivers on Long COVID.
2.) Understand treatment strategies from a root cause perspective- removing persistent virus and S protein.
3.) Understand how to implement effective prophylactic treatment.