The study, led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Yale School of Medicine, analyzed blood samples from about 270 people between January 2021 and June 2022. Using machine learning, the research teams were able to differentiate between people with and without long COVID with 96% accuracy based on distinctive features in the blood samples.
Abnormal T Cell Activity and Low Cortisol Levels in Long COVID Patients
The findings revealed that people with long COVID had abnormal T cell activity and low levels of the hormone cortisol. Additionally, the study found that long COVID appears to reactivate latent viruses including Epstein-Barr and mononucleosis.