long Covid

A UK study has found a connection between severe long COVID and changes in the gut microbiome, according to coverage by News-Medical. The research suggests that alterations in gut bacteria may be associated with the persistence and severity of long COVID symptoms, potentially offering new directions for diagnosis and treatment of the condition, which continues to affect many people after coronavirus infection.

A person says they passed printed health materials to a neighbour explaining the risks of covid infection, long covid, and possible links between repeated infections and urinary tract infections and kidney damage. The materials reference 2025 insights into long covid and UTIs. It reflects ongoing efforts by some individuals to inform others about covid's wider health effects beyond the acute illness.

A new study finds that people with Long COVID show different types and amounts of bacteria in their mouths and lungs compared to others. Researchers suggest these microbial changes could be linked to the persistent symptoms of the condition, adding to growing evidence that Long COVID involves measurable biological differences. The Australian Science Media Centre highlighted the findings for journalists covering the research.

A bitcoin wallet that received 4,582 BTC worth $40.8 million in March 2020, days before the Covid market crash, has moved its entire holding after more than six and a half years of inactivity. The same coins are now worth roughly $377 million, a gain of around $336 million, and the long-dormant transfer is drawing attention from market watchers tracking whale movements.

Researchers in South Africa have identified thousands of genes that behaved differently in children who developed severe COVID-19 and other respiratory infections compared with healthy controls. The findings could help explain why some children become seriously ill with COVID while most experience mild symptoms, and may point the way toward better risk prediction and treatment for severe respiratory disease in young patients.

New research indicates that severe long COVID is associated with distinct differences in patients' lung and oral microbiomes. The finding suggests that the community of microbes in the airways and mouth may play a role in why some people develop persistent, serious symptoms after infection. Researchers and health commentators are sharing the study, which could point toward microbiome-based diagnostics or treatments for long COVID patients.

Health experts are reminding the public that long COVID can develop after a mild COVID-19 infection, not only severe cases. Symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath may persist or emerge weeks or months after the initial illness, highlighting ongoing health risks even for people who recovered quickly.

A new UK study concludes that the Covid pandemic, Brexit and Liz Truss's 2022 mini-budget each contributed to a lasting decline in the nation's mental health. Researchers reportedly found cumulative damage from repeated economic and social shocks, with effects persisting years after each event. The findings are drawing attention to how political and economic crises leave long-term scars on public wellbeing, and are prompting debate about how governments should weigh mental health impacts of major policy decisions.

With New York Comic Con drawing large crowds, COVID-conscious voices are urging attendees to wear respirators and masks in crowded spaces. The warning stresses that people who develop Long COVID or COVID-related cognitive impairment have no safety net of support, making prevention the only real protection for themselves and others.

A public health PSA is circulating warning that an apparently empty public place likely still has Covid in the air, since the virus can linger airborne for hours after infected people leave. The message also stresses that Covid is scientifically proven to cause brain damage, urging people not to assume safety just because a space looks vacant.

New research suggests personality traits may help explain why some people experienced persistent mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic while others recovered more quickly. The findings point to individual differences in temperament as a factor in long-term psychological effects of the pandemic, alongside social and economic pressures. Mental health researchers say the results could help identify groups most at risk in future crises.

New research drawing on personality data reports that people with higher levels of neuroticism were more likely to experience anxiety and depression that persisted beyond the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest personality traits may help explain why some individuals carried psychological distress long after lockdowns and restrictions ended, informing mental health support.

A new study finds that people classified as worriers remained anxious four years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, suggesting pandemic-related anxiety did not fade for everyone once the acute crisis passed. The findings add to growing research on the lasting mental health effects of the pandemic, particularly for people predisposed to chronic worry.

A new Long COVID conference has opened in Amsterdam, with researchers centering discussions on the biological pathways behind the condition and on mechanistic treatment trials. Organizers and attendees are highlighting the need to move beyond symptom description toward understanding causes and testing targeted therapies, in what is being framed as a significant gathering for the Long COVID research community.

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of former Bellingham first responders who challenged the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ending their years-long legal battle. The workers, who lost their jobs after refusing vaccination, sought a ruling on whether such mandates unlawfully burdened their rights. The refusal leaves lower court rulings in place, prompting debate over employment rights and pandemic-era mandates.