Dr. Douglas Fraser, a researcher at Western University, is seen in the Research Institute lab at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, on October 29, 2024. (CTV News)
Long COVID can lead to a variety of health challenges, most notably brain fog, difficulty breathing, and severe fatigue. These lingering effects have puzzled many doctors and scientists, as explained by Dr. Douglas Fraser, a researcher at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, Ontario.
In a significant breakthrough last year, Dr. Fraser and his team at the Research Institute labs within the London Health Sciences Centre Victoria Campus discovered common proteins in the blood of patients suffering from long COVID. This finding has opened up new avenues for research, leading to two major projects. One focuses on understanding why some individuals are more prone to developing long COVID, while the other aims to conduct a clinical trial involving 1,200 patients. This trial seeks to identify an existing drug that could effectively treat long COVID.
"We are funded now to do a worldwide randomized controlled trial with repurposed medications for the treatment of long COVID,” Dr. Fraser shared. The study is in the early planning stages, with hopes to begin recruiting participants globally in early 2025.
The importance of finding a repurposed drug cannot be overstated, according to Dr. Fraser. He emphasized that doing so could greatly enhance the speed and cost-effectiveness of treatments. “Because we're also looking at third-world nations and low-income countries, we want to find therapies that are easy to use, that are available and that are affordable,” he noted.
London’s medical teams played a crucial role in identifying one of the first COVID-19 cases in Canada. Additionally, researchers from the area were quick to recognize the emergence of long COVID. Dr. Fraser has been deeply involved in long COVID research since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 virus over four years ago. He recalled, “The first COVID-19 patients appeared in London, Ont., in March of 2020. We are still seeing patients that were affected very early on, suffering from long COVID now. So, this is a post-viral syndrome, which can last for years.”
The projects spearheaded by Dr. Fraser and his team receive funding from the Schmidt Initiative for Long COVID (SILC), an organization founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Eric Schmidt, who served as CEO of Google for more than ten years, and his wife have been dedicated supporters of Western University’s long COVID research from its inception.
With the support of the Schmidt Initiative and the determination of researchers like Dr. Fraser, there is hope for those struggling with long COVID. By identifying effective treatments and understanding the condition better, the research aims to provide relief for countless individuals who continue to face the challenges of long COVID.
