FALCS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Persistent fatigue in long COVID-19 syndrome - Is there a role for neuroimmune activation?
IRAS ID
308661
Contact name
Daniel Martins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
The emergence of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic in 2019 has resulted in a global healthcare crisis and strained health resources across the world. While the leading COVID-19 symptoms are acute and most patients fully recover, a significant fraction of patients has increasingly experienced long-term health consequences, such as the persistence of shortness of breath, anosmia, ageusia or fatigue. These symptoms, collectively designated as post-COVID-19 syndrome, can persist well beyond 12 weeks of the onset of acute COVID-19 and have a formidable impact in the quality of life. \nRecent epidemiological studies have identified persistent fatigue as the most prevalent symptom experienced by those with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Fatigue following COVID-19 is present even in those only mildly affected and is not necessarily associated with the need for inpatient admission, supplemental oxygen or critical care. This observation suggests that persistent fatigue in post-COVID-19 might implicate mechanisms that are independent from the respiratory distress experienced by patients during the acute phase of the disease. However, the exact mechanisms underlying persistent fatigue in these individuals remain largely unknown.\nBuilding upon previous evidence implicating low-grade neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of persistent fatigue in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other post-viral syndromes, we reasoned that activation of the neuroimmune response might play a role in the development of persistent fatigue during post-COVID-19 syndrome. Therefore, to test this hypothesis we will compare two groups of individuals that had been previously infected by SARS-CoV-2 between three and 12 months before enrollment but differ on whether they have been affected by persistent fatigue. This project will allow us to explore this neuroinflammation-centred model of persistent fatigue in post-COVID-19 non-invasively by using a multimodal battery of MRI techniques, clinical assessments and immunophenotyping of peripheral blood.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SW/0068
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion