May 2025 Newsletter

University at Buffalo is conducting a clinical trial to study possible treatments for adults who have an autonomic nervous system disorder, called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), related to long COVID.
 
RECOVER-AUTONOMIC is a trial focused on automatic dysfunction symptoms related to long COVID, such as fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue. These symptoms are related to damage to nerves that are part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls body functions like heartbeat and blood pressure.

If you have had COVID, and have 1 or more of the following symptoms when sitting or lying down, you may be eligible to participate:

• fast heart rate
• dizziness
• fatigue

Contact Catherine Wrona at (716) 888-4713 / wrona@buffalo.edu if you are interested in participating in RECOVER-AUTONOMIC.

Over 225,000 pediatric electronic health records from 13 different institutions were studied to analyze how children’s health changed after acute COVID-19 infection. The study noted several differences among groups and communities that were not due to genetic factors.
 
Compared to non-Hispanic White children with long COVID:

• non-Hispanic Black children experienced more problems with cognitive function
• non-Hispanic Black children experienced fewer changes in skin symptoms
• Hispanic children with severe COVID-19 showed higher rates of hair loss
• Asian American and Pacific Islander children were more likely to experience fever and chills

A key feature of this study is that it is representative of the U.S. population because it spans various institutions. This research could help inform public health strategies aimed at reducing differences in health outcomes experienced by certain communities.

Patients with long COVID may exhibit persistent inflammation in the heart and lungs for up to 1 year following an acute COVID-19 infection, even when standard medical tests return normal results.
 
Researchers performed PET/MRI scans on 99 patients who reported persistent cardiopulmonary symptoms 9 to 12 months after confirmed COVID-19 infection. Over 57% of participants had evidence on PET/MRI (positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging) of inflammation affecting different areas of the heart and lungs.

“This study highlights the unique power of hybrid PET/MRI imaging to uncover hidden disease processes in long COVID patients,” said Zahi Fayad, PhD, senior author of the study.

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that unvaccinated children and adolescents were up to 20 times more likely to develop long COVID than their vaccinated peers. Rather, preventing COVID-19 infection in the first place offers special protection against long COVID itself.
 
The analysis found that the vaccine was 95% effective in preventing long COVID in adolescents during the Delta wave of COVID-19 in 2021. In 2022, against the Omicron wave of COVID-19, the vaccine was 75% effective. Similar findings have been discovered in the adult population.
 
“Preventing COVID-19 infections, including through vaccination, appears to be the best way to avoid long COVID,” says Yong Chen, PhD.

Follow us to stay in the loop about the latest long COVID news and for long COVID updates in Western New York.

Find us on:

If you had COVID-19 and would like to participate, begin filling out the questionnaire.

If you have already participated in the Long COVID Connection, feel free to share with others who may be interested.

Contact us: (716) 382 - 1808 / ubcov@buffalo.edu