MultiCare research team tackles long COVID through new study

When many of us think about a COVID-19 infection, our concerns often center on how severe the initial symptoms might be and how we can keep from infecting others. However, a growing segment of the population wonders just how long their symptoms will last or why new symptoms are cropping up.

Up to 23 million Americans may be living with long COVID — new or ongoing health problems following an infection. The first of this two-part series explores what we know about this condition so far, including how it’s diagnosed and treated, as well as the personal experiences of two people living with long COVID.

In this post, learn what investigators at the MultiCare Institute for Research & Innovation — the largest community-based, nonacademic research center in the Pacific Northwest — are doing to better understand this disease.

Drawing inspiration from patients

Fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, muscle and joint pain, memory problems, difficulty thinking — these are just a few of the symptoms associated with long COVID. Not only do these symptoms affect a person’s physical and mental health, but they can also wreak havoc on quality of life.

“I worked in respiratory clinics throughout the pandemic, and I started seeing patients come in with these extended symptoms — what we now know as long COVID,” says Michael Garrett, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, MHA, a board-certified family nurse practitioner at MultiCare Health System. “Long COVID symptoms can be quite debilitating, to the point where people can’t live their usual lives.”

Garrett’s experience inspired him to partner with the Research Institute —— to initiate a study about long COVID. The Research Institute supports MultiCare employees interested in research by providing them with support in a variety of areas, from study design to grant writing to data collection and more.

Teaming up with the Research Institute

Garrett, who holds a doctorate in nursing practice, collaborated with Jin Mou, MD, MSc, MPH, PhD, senior research epidemiologist at the Research Institute, to set up this observational study, which launched in June 2022. An observational study is a type of research where investigators examine the health outcomes of particular groups of people without intentionally changing or intervening with their care.

Garrett and Dr. Mou, along with their co-investigators, aim to answer two important questions. The first: Can COVID-19 vaccines, whether given before or after a person was infected with the virus, reduce the intensity of, or even prevent, long COVID symptoms?

“At the time we were putting the study together, back in 2021, there was a small amount of data coming out of Europe suggesting that vaccines could improve and sometimes resolve long COVID symptoms,” Garrett says. “This was when the vaccines were fairly novel and some people were reluctant to get them. We thought our findings could potentially encourage more people to get vaccinated.”

Curiosity about the role of COVID-19 vaccines also led Garrett and Dr. Mou to an additional research question: Do monoclonal antibodies protect people from long COVID symptoms?

“Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a lab that can help a person fight an infection,” Dr. Mou says. “Throughout the pandemic, different types of monoclonal antibody treatments have been used to help relieve COVID-19 symptoms during the acute phase of an infection and to keep people out of the hospital, so we’re wondering if that protective effect also extends to long COVID.”

Garrett and Dr. Mou will answer their research questions by examining electronic medical record data from three groups of MultiCare patients, and then surveying those patients about their health experiences. Direct reports from patients, known as patient-reported outcomes, are critical, particularly when a health condition like long COVID is not fully understood.

In addition to investigating the impact of COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, a third aim of the study is to provide more clarity about the scope of symptoms associated with long COVID and how this condition is affecting the communities MultiCare serves.

“The beauty of this study is that we can learn more about how long COVID symptoms and risk factors are specifically affecting MultiCare patients, and we can then use that knowledge to improve the way we provide care,” Dr. Mou says.

Where we go from here and how to get help

Garrett, Dr. Mou and their co-investigators make up one of many research teams all over the world aiming to better understand, prevent and treat long COVID. New information about this condition is constantly emerging.

For example, a study from the nonprofit FAIR Health found that more than 75 percent of people with long COVID were never hospitalized, so even those who initially experienced a mild infection could also be at risk.

Another study published in the journal Radiology may shed light on the diagnosis of long COVID. Currently, there isn’t one specific method for detecting the condition, and traditional tests such as X-rays and breathing function tests often yield normal results despite the experience of persistent symptoms. Using a new imaging technique, this research team was able to detect lung abnormalities in people with long COVID, including patients who were never hospitalized.

Hope is on the horizon, but in the meantime, we must use the tools we have to address long COVID. One of those tools is staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations.

“We don’t yet have the full picture on how well COVID-19 vaccines safeguard against long COVID, but what we do know is that the vaccines can help protect you from getting infected in the first place,” says Mary Fairchok, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

And if you’re experiencing troubling long COVID symptoms, seek medical attention.

“While there’s not one specific treatment for long COVID, there are some helpful therapies available depending on what your symptoms are,” Dr. Fairchok says. “A primary care provider can help you rule out other possible causes of your symptoms and figure out next steps for testing or referrals. Long COVID can really take a toll on your well-being — it’s important to get support.”

Some people with long COVID may be eligible for benefits and protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For additional resources, such as long COVID support groups, visit healthrising.org, a website dedicated to those experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and similar conditions.