Title: Study Reveals Long COVID Struggle for Patients Testing Negative for the Virus
Subtitle: Northwestern Medicine’s COVID-19 clinic brings light to a significant population battling long COVID symptoms without a positive test result
CHICAGO (WLS) — A groundbreaking study conducted at Northwestern Medicine’s COVID-19 clinic shed light on a group of patients with long COVID symptoms who tested negative for the virus, highlighting their struggle for recognition and medical care.
Imani Ibrahim, one of the participants in the study, recounted her experience starting in March 2020, right at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had this overwhelming, consistent smell of smoke,” she said. Weeks later, she lost her sense of smell and taste, prompting her to seek a COVID test. However, the results were repeatedly negative, even as her symptoms worsened.
Fatigue, migraines, and brain fog became part of Ibrahim’s daily life, all while receiving negative test results for COVID. It wasn’t until September 2020, when a doctor tested her for COVID antibodies, that Ibrahim learned she had indeed been exposed to the virus. To this day, her sense of taste and smell remain unpredictable.
A group of nearly 30 patients, all experiencing long COVID symptoms despite testing negative for the virus, joined Ibrahim in the study conducted at Northwestern Medicine’s COVID-19 clinic. Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuro-infectious diseases at Northwestern Medicine, revealed the significance of their findings.
“We estimate that during the first year of the pandemic, about 10 million people in the U.S. were in this predicament, that they were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, developed COVID-19 and thereafter developed long COVID symptoms, but never had a positive test because they could not be tested in time,” explained Dr. Koralnik.
This alarming statistic highlights the need for the medical community to acknowledge and provide care to long-haulers, even without a positive COVID-19 test result. Unfortunately, many individuals in this situation have faced rejection, stigmatization, and even gaslighting from the medical establishment, solely due to the absence of a positive test.
Dr. Koralnik emphasized the necessity of further research to understand the causes of long COVID and to develop effective treatments for its diverse range of symptoms. Northwestern’s COVID-19 clinic has already treated over 2,100 long COVID patients, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive support and therapies.
Imani Ibrahim remains resilient despite her ongoing battle with long COVID. “I’m still who I am, I’m still working full time, I’m still loved by my family and friends, I still give back to my community,” she expressed.
As awareness grows about the plight of long-haulers who tested negative for COVID-19, Northwestern Medicine’s study serves as a critical step towards providing the necessary care and understanding for millions affected by this debilitating condition.