Readers respond to an article describing one child’s experience with the virus and how it has affected him and his family
We were interested to read about life with long Covid and our hearts go out to the children described, and all the sufferers of this condition (Childhood, interrupted: 12-year-old Toby’s life with long Covid, 12 June). However, doctors are still debating the causes of long Covid. We are concerned about the science behind the “microclots” hypothesis as a cause of long Covid and have examined it academically.
The evidence base for “microclots” causing long Covid is tenuous to say the least: the research shows these particles are found in normal individuals and other conditions. This makes it unlikely that they are the cause of long Covid. Indeed, the particles are not actually clots; they are small particles of a protein called amyloid, which are not involved in blood clotting.
About Author
More Stories
Male mosquitoes to be genetically engineered to poison females with semen in Australian research
Memo to Trump: US telecoms is vulnerable to hackers. Please hang up and try again | John Naughton
Bizarre Australian mole even more unusual than first thought, new research reveals