What COVID-19 Teaches Us About Rare Diseases (News)

What COVID-19 Teaches Us About Rare Diseases

Pain News Network
27 February 2021
https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2021/2/26/what-covid-19-teaches-us-about-rare-diseases

In a recent study, University of Washington researchers monitored 300 recovering Covid patients in the Seattle area and found that 30% reported worse health and quality of life in the wake of the illness. Some were unable to perform simple chores, lift heavy objects or walk for more than a short distance. 

Chronic Covid syndrome (CSS), also known as long-haul Covid, seems to occur in about 10% of infected people. In addition to loss of smell, long haulers often have disabling fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, weakness and brain fog – symptoms that are strikingly similar to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME).

Research on how to manage long-haul Covid is looking at treatments already used for rare disorders. A clinical trial of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) is underway. LDN is sometimes used to treat refractory chronic pain conditions, and is being explored for lupus and obsessive-compulsive disorder.