Will Stone

These could ultimately trigger symptoms like brain fog, like fatigue, shortness of breath, something called post-exertional malaise. The challenge here remains translating some of these insights into treatment. There are still no approved drugs for long COVID. The approach is often to manage symptoms and try to improve quality of life. And what are the challenges in coming up with the treatment?

These could ultimately trigger symptoms like brain fog, like fatigue, shortness of breath, something called post-exertional malaise. The challenge here remains translating some of these insights into treatment. There are still no approved drugs for long COVID. The approach is often to manage symptoms and try to improve quality of life. And what are the challenges in coming up with the treatment?

It comes down to clinical trials. There just aren't enough of them. A few years ago, there were a handful looking at drugs. Dr. Michael Peluso told me by his count, there are now about 50, including some that Peluso is involved in at the University of California, San Francisco. But he says the reality is we just need a lot more for such a complex condition.

It comes down to clinical trials. There just aren't enough of them. A few years ago, there were a handful looking at drugs. Dr. Michael Peluso told me by his count, there are now about 50, including some that Peluso is involved in at the University of California, San Francisco. But he says the reality is we just need a lot more for such a complex condition.

It comes down to clinical trials. There just aren't enough of them. A few years ago, there were a handful looking at drugs. Dr. Michael Peluso told me by his count, there are now about 50, including some that Peluso is involved in at the University of California, San Francisco. But he says the reality is we just need a lot more for such a complex condition.

And Scott, one of the major barriers here is that drug makers are still on the sidelines to some extent. Over and over again, Peluso hears the reason is there's not a reliable biological measurement of the condition, a biomarker that can be tracked across multiple trials in the same way that LDL or bad cholesterol is a biomarker for heart disease risk. Do we know how many people are affected?

And Scott, one of the major barriers here is that drug makers are still on the sidelines to some extent. Over and over again, Peluso hears the reason is there's not a reliable biological measurement of the condition, a biomarker that can be tracked across multiple trials in the same way that LDL or bad cholesterol is a biomarker for heart disease risk. Do we know how many people are affected?

And Scott, one of the major barriers here is that drug makers are still on the sidelines to some extent. Over and over again, Peluso hears the reason is there's not a reliable biological measurement of the condition, a biomarker that can be tracked across multiple trials in the same way that LDL or bad cholesterol is a biomarker for heart disease risk. Do we know how many people are affected?

That's hard to pin down. Research, including CDC data, has found about 18 million adults in the U.S. had long COVID. There are more conservative estimates. All of this depends on how you're defining the condition, who you survey, and people are still getting long COVID. Here's what Hannah Davis told me.

That's hard to pin down. Research, including CDC data, has found about 18 million adults in the U.S. had long COVID. There are more conservative estimates. All of this depends on how you're defining the condition, who you survey, and people are still getting long COVID. Here's what Hannah Davis told me.

That's hard to pin down. Research, including CDC data, has found about 18 million adults in the U.S. had long COVID. There are more conservative estimates. All of this depends on how you're defining the condition, who you survey, and people are still getting long COVID. Here's what Hannah Davis told me.

She has long COVID herself and co-founded an advocacy group called the Patient-Led Research Collaborative.

She has long COVID herself and co-founded an advocacy group called the Patient-Led Research Collaborative.

She has long COVID herself and co-founded an advocacy group called the Patient-Led Research Collaborative.

And I hear the same message from doctors who are seeing new patients alongside those who got sick two, three, four years ago and have not recovered.

And I hear the same message from doctors who are seeing new patients alongside those who got sick two, three, four years ago and have not recovered.

And I hear the same message from doctors who are seeing new patients alongside those who got sick two, three, four years ago and have not recovered.

Yeah, continually. The federal government has funded long COVID research through its recover initiative. Last year, an additional $660 million was appropriated. That's to be spent over the next four years, including on clinical trials. Now, obviously, there's huge uncertainty about federal funding for scientific research in general under the Trump administration. I spoke to Megan Stone about this.

Yeah, continually. The federal government has funded long COVID research through its recover initiative. Last year, an additional $660 million was appropriated. That's to be spent over the next four years, including on clinical trials. Now, obviously, there's huge uncertainty about federal funding for scientific research in general under the Trump administration. I spoke to Megan Stone about this.

Yeah, continually. The federal government has funded long COVID research through its recover initiative. Last year, an additional $660 million was appropriated. That's to be spent over the next four years, including on clinical trials. Now, obviously, there's huge uncertainty about federal funding for scientific research in general under the Trump administration. I spoke to Megan Stone about this.