The virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) not only causes a potentially life-threatening acute respiratory disease called COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), it can also cause debilitating symptoms that can linger long after the acute phase has resolved.

Now recognized as Long COVID, this illness is characterized by a variety of symptoms including fatigue, difficulty breathing, joint pain, and memory issues. Long COVID is showing to affect between 30% and 75% of recovering COVID-19 patients. In Saskatchewan with over 100,000 COVID-19 diagnosed cases as of January 2022, a low estimate of Long COVID sufferers in Saskatchewan is currently 30,000 people.

Principle investigator Dr. Alyson Kelvin from VIDO was recently awarded a three year Establishment Grant for $120,000.00 from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation to define how the immune system is dysregulated in the long-term phase of Long COVID.

It is the hope of Dr. Kelvin that this work will not only shed light on the possible causes of immune dysfunction and Long COVID disease, but that it may also suggest strategies for diagnosis or treatment.

Lung Saskatchewan is pleased to be supporting Dr. Kelvin and her team in this great work, and is looking forward to assisting in the recruitment of participants for the study and sharing the results of what is learned, among its many networks.