New Discovery
There is some new research being done finding that iron deficiencies are being found the cause of long COVID cases. Due to a report at the University of Cambridge, researchers were able to discover that low iron deficiencies are tied to sickness. Mainly, they were able to tie it to anemia and inflammation. Along with, a standstill of healthy red blood cell counts. While, all of this happening not long after catching COVID-19.
A statement from the study’s co-author, Hal Drakesmith reads: “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. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert.”
Low Iron Levels
Annoyingly, having an iron deficiency is not uncommon, tons of people have it. However not all causes are the same, and there are plenty of causes for having low iron levels.
Iron deficiencies can be caused by the following list:
- Blood Loss.
- Pregnancy.
- Age.
- Celiac Disease.
- Medications.
- Diet.
Furthermore, here are some other very common causes include menstruation, inflammatory bowel disease, and blood donors. As much as having low iron levels can be annoying, there are some ways you can increase the blood levels.
Ways to increase iron levels:
- Red Meat.
- Spinach.
- Broccoli.
- Nuts.
- Kale.
Furthermore, taking iron supplements along with adding vitamin C to ones diet can help bring iron levels up.
COVID Cases
Additionally, while the exact number is not pinpointed, COVID cases starting from five and varying to 20 cases, have turned into long COVID. Unfortunately, the hardest thing is creating a diagnosis, and that goes for any illness or disease. Subsequently, in cases involving diabetes or prostate cancer, there are biomarkers in the blood that scientists look for.
However, diagnosing it is more difficult than that, because long COVID is more than one disease. For this reason, doctors offices first rule out a set of diagnosis before narrowing down the rest completely. In other words, they complete a marked amount of tests to rule out basics first.
Subsequently, in order to create a better diagnosis regarding long COVID, it means more people suffer. Because, it takes time and observation to make decisions like this.
By Key Robertson
Sources
Science News: The blood holds clues to understanding long COVID
New York Post: Long COVID may be triggered by low iron levels, scientists discover
The Washington Times: Scientists discover the major culprit in long COVID cases
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