PEORIA, Ill. — One expert on COVID-19 in Illinois says the newly announced National Institutes of Health funded “long COVID” study coming to Central Illinois should serve as a major benefit for future COVID patients.
During an appearance on WMBD’s “The Greg and Dan Show” Tuesday, University of Illinois College of Medicine’s Dr. Doug Kasper said the study will offer researchers and public health professionals a better set of data to work from.
“We have anecdotal evidence about different groups…but this is the big study. This is the one that will look at long term rates of lung disease…and see truly how COVID impacts people within our population.”
He calls this study the “needed next phase” of the COVID-19 response.
Monday’s announcement about the long COVID study comes at a time when the U.S. is seeing more and more variants and sub-variants.
The CDC now says the newer BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of COVID-19 now make up the vast majority of new cases.
He suggests there has been a possible silver lining in the midst of the pandemic.
He says public health agencies and technology have needed better funding and attention for a long time and now they might be getting it.
