Long Covid blood test could be ready soon

A simple blood test that could diagnose long Covid is on the horizon after a breakthrough by researchers in the UK.

Imperial College London scientists found a pattern of rogue antibodies in the blood of a small number of people with long-Covid symptoms.

The discovery, in a study of only a few dozen people that will now be repeated on a larger scale, could help medics create a simple test for use in doctors’ offices.

At present, there is no test for long Covid and relatively little is known about the condition that is estimated to affect millions worldwide.

Last week, the authorities in England said about two million people could have longCovid symptoms.

Imperial researchers compared the blood of dozens of people and discovered socalled autoantibodies that were not present in people who recovered quickly.

The immune system normally uses antibodies to fight disease, but sometimes it turns on itself.

Doctors across the world have seen young Covid-19 patients with cytokine storm syndrome, in which their immune system triggers severe inflammation, often in the lungs.

Prof Danny Altmann, who led the research team, said these overactive autoantibodies could be a factor in causing long-Covid symptoms. It is also possible, he said, that the virus persists for much longer in some people than others, possibly owing to immune system weakness.

Imperial researchers hope a simple test could be ready in six to 18 months, although the project would have to be increased from its small sample size.