Blood test detecting Long Covid in kids with 94% accuracy microclots
11 hours ago
- #Long COVID
- #Microclots
- #Pediatric Health
- Long COVID (LC) affects one in five children after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Common LC symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, pain, and shortness of breath.
- LC can impair school performance and have long-term health consequences.
- Current LC diagnosis methods are imprecise and delay appropriate care.
- Fibrinaloid clots (microclots) may contribute to LC's underlying mechanisms.
- A microfluidic device was developed to quantify microclots in blood samples.
- Pediatric LC patients had significantly higher microclot levels than healthy children.
- The device showed 94% diagnostic accuracy, outperforming traditional methods (66%).
- Highest microclot counts were found in patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
- Future studies will assess the device for LC screening and treatment monitoring.