A recent Swedish study found that the immune cells of those who received medical care due to severe COVID-19 infection are still affected by the virus more than six months after the onset of symptoms. The study was published in the journal "Frontiers in Immunology" and reported that severe COVID-19 infection has long-term negative effects on the immune system. The research was conducted under the supervision of Francis Hopkins from Linköping University, who stated, "We did not expect the effects to last for such a long time, around 7-8 months."
Researchers examined 46 patients who received care at Norrköping Hospital and 31 healthy individuals. They analyzed blood samples taken at the time of the patients' hospital admission, followed by samples taken two weeks, six weeks, and then six to eight months later. The results showed that the T-cells in the immune system were mixed; some remained active long after the illness, while others were exhausted and could not function normally.
The study raised a question for future research after the researchers observed similar effects in patients with chronic HIV infection: why do these effects persist after such a long time?
