Post-acute Covid-19 syndrome: phenotyping and immunologic/genetic mechanisms

Research problem and overall purpose; COVID-19 has affected more than 2.4 million persons in Sweden. Some have a prolonged course after initial disease with debilitating symptoms; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS).

The overall purpose of the research project is to characterise PACS patients regarding severity of residual symptoms, objectively analyse functional and patophysiological impairment in affected organs and explore underlying immunomechanistic causes.Relevance Investigating longterm PACS effects and increase the understanding of the various phenotypes and underlying mechanisms will generate effective ways to inform on novel treatment strategies and better protocols for clinical follow-up and design interventions for prevention.

Data and methods In-depth phenotyping is generated from our post-COVID outpatient clinic with regular monitoring of previously hospitalized patients with initial severe Covid-19 and non-hospitalized PACS patients. A cohort of age and sex matched  COVID-19 patients without PACS  constitute a control group.

We will perform systems-level analyses of blood immune cells, plasma proteins and bio-energetic measurements of blood cells in combination with whole genome sequencing from patients with severe PACS.Plan for project realization Abundant phenotypic patient data is now available for analysis as well as blood samples for immuno-mechanistic analysis.

In depth studies of pulmonary, cardiovascular and other long term complications are ongoing.