Dundee researchers link mouth and lung bacteria to long COVID
Technology
A new study has found that people with long COVID have different bacteria in their mouths and lungs compared to others.
Researchers from the University of Dundee looked at samples from 771 patients across the UK and linked these changes to ongoing symptoms.
Severe long COVID shows larger shifts
Six months after leaving the hospital, patients with more severe long COVID symptoms, like trouble breathing, brain fog, or stomach issues, had bigger shifts in their oral and lung bacteria.
There was also a rise in lactic acid-producing bacteria tied to inflammation.
As lead author Daniela Alferes de Lima Headley puts it, understanding these changes could help us find better ways to treat long COVID down the line.