A recent study conducted by the University of Cambridge revealed that iron deficiency could be the key factor in prolonged recovery of Covid-19, commonly known as long Covid.
The study published in Nature Immunology, suggested that low iron levels not only aggravates inflammation and anemia but could also weaken the production of red blood cells after contracting Covid-19.
“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly,” explained co-author Hal Drakesmith. “It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” the New York Post reports.
The study conducted on 214 Covid patients noted depletion in iron levels within two weeks of disease contraction, which later on develops into long Covid.
“Although we saw evidence that the body was trying to rectify low iron availability and the resulting anemia by producing more red blood cells, it was not doing a particularly good job of it in the face of ongoing inflammation,” commented researcher Dr. Aimee Hanson.
The study estimated that almost 30 percent of Covid-19 infected persons are susceptible to long Covid due to low iron levels, and data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claimed that about 3 million Americans require treatment for anemia or iron deficiency annually.
Speaking on iron insufficiency, one of the lead researchers commented, “When this happens over a long duration, the lack of iron results in oxygen being ‘less efficiently’ transported throughout the body.” He added, “The consequences are profound, influencing not just the oxygen flow but also critically impacting metabolism and energy levels.”
“What we need is a way to re-mobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.” Dr. Hanson suggested.
Recently, another study stated that long Covid could cause lingering symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches and brain fog.
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