SARS-CoV-2 persists in the epipharyngeal (a region behind the nasal cavity) mucosa of patients with long COVID. However, the impact of these persistent viral antigens on the epipharyngeal immune response remains less explored. Researchers from Japan have now mapped the immune activation triggered by these SARS-CoV-2 remnants and demonstrated how a simple outpatient procedure—epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT)—can help clear the viral RNA, restore tissue function, and alleviate long COVID symptoms.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, precautionary measures were swiftly adopted. While the early pandemic effects were studied extensively, little is known about long-term impacts on vulnerable groups like the elderly. Researchers in Japan analyzed healthcare use and socioeconomic disparities among older adults during the prolonged pandemic. Their findings reveal both resilience and inequality—offering crucial insights into how healthcare systems can adapt to maintain access for aging populations during extended public health emergencies.

The findings, published in JAMA Health Forum, reveal a continuing and worrying trend in worsening US mortality compared to other wealthy nations over the last four decades. While excess deaths per year peaked at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, excess deaths in 2023 still far exceeded prepandemic levels in 2019 and closely matched the rising pre-pandemic trend. After rising steadily since 1980, excess US deaths reached 1,098,808 in 2021, before dropping to 820,396 in 2022 and 705,331 in 2023, after the acute phase of the pandemic. However, the 2023 figure was still tens of thousands of deaths higher than the 2019 total of 631,247 missing Americans.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is primarily driven by inflammation-induced myocardial injury through both direct and indirect mechanisms. Effective clinical management requires a dual approach: addressing cardiovascular lesions while also mitigating virus-induced local and systemic inflammation. This comprehensive approach is essential for improving the diagnosis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2-associated ACS. Emerging evidence highlights the potential of myocardial protective agents, including angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-modulating drugs and traditional Chinese medicine, which not only stabilize plaques and improve endothelial function but also confer cardioprotective effects. Furthermore, advancements in nanotechnology offer promising strategies for targeted therapy—particularly through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor modulation—by enhancing the precision and efficacy of herbal medicine delivery. This review explores the complex interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and ACS pathogenesis, and evaluates the therapeutic potential of pharmacological, herbal, and nanotechnology-based interventions in managing this multifaceted condition.

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering finds that neutrophils — the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans — may be altered by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to cease their normal function of destroying pathogens in the body and, instead, significantly inhibit other immune cells critical for fighting the virus. 

New insights into the complexities of Long COVID have been brought to light, thanks to an international collaborative effort with the participation of researchers from GCAT|Genomes for life, a strategic project of IGTP. A study published today in Nature Genetics used the vast data from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative to perform the first study examining the entire genetic code specifically focused on Long COVID.