Exeter firm excited over long Covid test success

An Exeter-based research firm has developed what it believes is a "world first" breakthrough test to help confirm the existence of long Covid in some patients.

Attomarker, which specialises in health diagnostic technologies, said it could now divide long Covid patients into three cohorts.

Prof Andrew Shaw, from the firm, said it could be done "via a simple finger prick test sent through the mail".

Prof David Strain, a virologist and advisor to Parliament on health issues, said the firm was "right to be excited" but also struck a note of caution.

Prof Shaw wants to conduct further trials: "The right way forward is to collect around 300 patients, identify which cohort they fit into, treat them, and see if they get better."

He said a full clinical trial would need to follow that.

Attomarker said of those tested 60% showed a poor quantity and quality of antibodies in response to the Covid variant encountered, which can be treated via immunotherapies and vaccines.

There was a hyper immune response to the infection for 15% of those tested, which means their bodies produced too many antibodies, which can cause problems in its own way.

The remaining 25% had an unclear response or diagnosis from the test results.

Vivienne Leonard, from Whimple in East Devon, has had long Covid for a few years, which she described as "a long and lonely journey".

As well as well reported Covid symptoms, such as fatigue and brain fog, she had other symptoms such as a rash from head to toe.

She wasn't able to work and felt "really low".

The test showed her body had had a hyper immune response.

Mrs Leonard said that result was a "game changer" as she was put on the right treatment pathway.

"I'm feeling so much better. I'm not cured but I can understand and mitigate my issues," she said.

"If I'd have had this test at my doctors on day one, we could have been on it straight away. Could my life have been better? - I think it would have been."

Prof Strain said: "Just because there is a test, it doesn't mean it should be rolled out across the board.

"This test has produced great results in a handful of case studies.

"This needs to be translated into a bigger trial to determine if it can direct management [of Long Covid] and when we are at that stage, we then have a programme which is ready to be adopted by the whole of the NHS.

"We'd then be getting the thousands, if not millions of patients with the disease back out, feeling better and doing what they want to be doing."

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