A scientific day for long Covid research
Last updated on 23 October 2024
In brief
On 14 October 2024, ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, in partnership with Santé publique France and the French National Authority for Health (HAS), organised a scientific day dedicated to research on long Covid. A milestone for research, the day was marked by discussions and exchanges between researchers, clinicians, associations and the institutional world, to help define the main directions for future research.
Patient follow-up has shown that the wide range of post-Covid symptoms, grouped together under the name long Covid, probably includes multiple symptoms that are still insufficiently understood.
The complexity of the disease demonstrated by the wide variety of symptoms does not fall within the remit of any particular speciality or discipline. Interdisciplinary dialogue and coordination between the various players, including patients and associations, must be strengthened and improved. Resolving the Covid-19 crisis required an exceptional international effort. A similar commitment is essential for long Covid.
A day for long Covid research
For ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANRS MIE), research must involve people living with the disease from the outset, from conception to analysis and completion of the study. The event was organised in partnership with Santé publique France and the Haute Autorité de santé, and with the help of patient associations (ApresJ20: Association Covid long France, Association Covid long enfants, Association Winslow santé publique), which took part in selection committees, the scientific advisory board and moderated plenary sessions.
The event covered several areas of research: epidemiology, pathophysiology and clinical trials. Researchers and clinicians presented their work on the underlying mechanisms of the disease, which will help better characterise the post-Covid syndrome(s), understand the clinical forms in order to improve diagnosis and patient care.
A summary of the day’s presentations is appended to the end of this press release.
Prioritise future research using a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that includes patients
The aim of the event was to take research to the next level. The pathophysiological and epidemiological hypotheses presented have prompted us to rethink our priorities and should be used to define new main research objectives.
A number of key points emerged from this first meeting:
- More attention needs to be paid to paediatric patients. Long-term monitoring is also essential.
- Epidemiology has made it possible to quantify the burden of the disease and identify multiple risk factors, linked to the infection (severity, number, wave and variant), the demographic context (sex, age), the social context (working conditions, representations), the pathological context (burden of physical and psychological co-morbidities) and behaviour (vaccination).
- Preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics is a key driver of research into emerging infectious diseases. Epidemiological knowledge, which several French teams have contributed to develop, should help to define, steer and evaluate public health policies aimed at reducing the disease burden on the population and preparing the healthcare system for future infections, as well as providing avenues for clinical and basic research in pathology.
- SARS-CoV-2 persistence and neuroinvasion of the central nervous system (CNS) have been demonstrated, but the impact on the CNS, the mechanisms involved and the links with neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits need to be better understood.
- Pathophysiological studies should be continued and extended to other post-infectious syndromes (post-influenza, dengue fever, Lyme borreliosis, etc.), on the assumption that they share at least some of the same pathophysiological mechanisms.
- New therapeutic trials need to be set up. They must be multi-centre, and eligibility should be based on careful consideration of relevant biological and imaging markers and standardised clinical indicators.
- Patients must be involved in the design of clinical trials and the establishment of cohorts.
Addressing these issues requires the continuation and progressive development of a research programme, as well as the coordination of multidisciplinary teams including epidemiologists, basic researchers and clinicians (virologists, infectious disease specialists, neurologists, lung specialists, cardiologists, etc.). These teams need to be committed over the long term, with funding and infrastructures. They need to be organised at national level and seek to integrate better into the international research effort.
Among those taking part in this first scientific day were:
- Professor Lionel Collet, Chairman of the French National Authority for Health (HAS)
- Didier Samuel, Chairman and CEO of Inserm
- Dr Caroline Semaille, Director of Santé publique France
- Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Director of the ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Julie Lagrave, Head of the Research and Access to Innovation Unit, General Directorate for Healthcare Provision (DGOS), Ministry of Health
- Pauline Oustric: President of ApresJ20: Association Covid long France
- Ms Isabelle Leibl: Association Covid long enfants
- Solenn Tanguy: President of Association Winslow santé publique
Press contacts
ANRS Emerging infectious diseases: presse@anrs.fr
High Authority for Health (HAS): contact.presse@has-sante.fr