covidlonghaulers

A new clinical study of Long-Covid and some other post-viral illnesses called MIT MAESTRO has been announced https://talresearchgroup.mit.edu/mitmaestro. Patients can fill out the eligibility screening here https://intake.mit.edu/surveys/?s=WLPFP8M9YD73WXY9. See a video on their study here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DxQC3f3DVg.

The best part of the study is that all data will be made available open source (anonymized). All patients will have access to their results. The study includes a physical examination, a thorough blood test, urine and saliva samples, as well as testing for hypermobility, eye movement and cognitive function. There’s optional testing for orthostatic intolerance (NASA lean test) and skin integrity (Nevisense). Optional samples such as throat swabs, sweat (Macroduct Advanced), and/or a self vaginal/menstrual collection are possible.

Overall it’s a good opportunity for patients who haven’t undergone any proper testing and more importantly it’s part of the much needed biomedical research that is necessary to solve Long-Covid.

That being said it’s disappointing that the MIT doesn’t use any advanced technologies to asses the illness. Many researchers in smaller labs are much further than this and are doing intricate work, rather than these simple things that have been done already. Frustrating when one of the leading research universities is more than 4 years behind organisations such as Polybio. Why does no one listen to organisations such as the Patient-Led Research Collaborative to gain a better idea of what is needed to tackle this illness?

Nonetheless I hope that the study can recruit as many patients as quickly as possible. Any biomedical research is far better than none and succesful studies with sufficient participants raise the need for follow-ups and further studies.