An NIH-supported study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that routine lab tests aren’t practical for diagnosing long COVID-19. The study is part of the NIH RECOVER Initiative and shows that it takes work to identify long COVID-19.
David Goff from NIH emphasizes the need for quick and accurate diagnostic tools to help people with long-term COVID-19 get proper care. Since no reliable biomarkers exist, diagnosing long COVID relies on detailed medical histories, physical exams, and lab tests to rule out other causes.
The study aimed to see if SARS-CoV-2 infections cause changes in biomarkers like platelet counts or urine protein. Over 10,000 adults from across the U.S. were involved, including those with and without prior infections. Participants completed surveys, physical exams, and 25 lab tests at different times over two years. About 19% were found to have long COVID.
Researchers found few differences in biomarkers between people with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infections. They noted a slight increase in HbA1c (average blood sugar) in those with previous infection.
However, it vanished when excluding people with pre-existing diabetes. Some had slight increases in uACR (kidney function measure) with prior infection, possibly linked to the infection’s severity. A secondary analysis showed no significant lab test differences between those with and without long COVID among the infected group.
Kristine Erlandson, M.D., professor of medicine-infectious disease at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, said, “Future work will use RECOVER’s biobank of cohort samples such as blood and spinal fluid, to develop more novel laboratory-based tests that help us better understand the pathophysiology of long COVID.”
Journal reference :
- Kristine M. Erlandson, Linda N. Geng et al., Routine lab tests are unreliable for diagnosing long COVID. Annals of Internal Medicine. DOI: 10.7326/M24-0737.