In this interview, Dr. Amy Proal discusses her research into Long COVID, which has focused on the role of viral reservoirs. Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), is a group of health problems persisting after an initial infection with SARS-CoV-2, which can impact nearly every organ in the body and is often debilitating. Scientists believe that there could now be hundreds of millions of people suffering from Long COVID symptoms and associated medical problems globally.

Dr. Proal is a microbiologist with extensive experience researching infection-associated chronic disease and is one of the world’s leading experts on Long COVID. She is the president and chief scientific officer of the PolyBio Research Foundation and a member of the editorial group of the John Snow Project. Links to these organizations and papers discussed in the interview are provided below the video.

References:

• PolyBio Research Foundation
• The John Snow Project
• WSWS interview with Dr. Diane Griffin
• PolyBio position paper on SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs and Long COVID
• 1986 study “Persistence of RNA Viruses in the Central Nervous System”
• “Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations”
• “The immunology of long COVID”
• John Snow Project videos, including “Don’t breathe it in”