With $1B and advanced imaging, NIH seeks answers to COVID-19’s lingering effects
Up to 30% of the 28 million COVID-19 cases recorded in the U.S. could lead to long-term symptoms. And National Institutes of Health researchers are relying, in part, on imaging to find out why, CBS News reported Tuesday.
The NIH has launched a number of new projects to understand the mechanisms behind these lingering symptoms, which include brain fog, fevers and headaches long after patients test negative. One such investigation used 30 brain samples analyzed under MRI and found fibrinogen tissue suggestive of tiny blood clots within the brain causing decreased oxygen levels and, potentially, brain fog or stroke.
And with the help of $1.15 billion in Congressional funding, the institute is also enrolling patients to undergo brain, heart and lung imaging in an effort to pinpoint a biomarker that helps clinicians identify individuals who may be at risk for long-term consequences, the news outlet reported.
"I promise you we are all in on this," NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, said to CBS. "There will be no stones left unturned."
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.