Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 09, 2025 3 months, 1 week, 3 days, 12 hours, 32 minutes ago
Medical News: How COVID19 Affects the Body’s Internal Clock
A new study has found that people suffering from Long COVID show signs of a broken internal body clock, with their stress hormone levels behaving abnormally throughout the day. Researchers from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Roma 1, and the Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive in Italy, along with ETH Zurich in Switzerland, carried out this groundbreaking investigation.
Saliva tests reveal stress hormone imbalance in Long COVID patients
This
Medical News report covers findings from a study conducted at a Long COVID clinic in Rome between February 2023 and March 2024. It involved 96 individuals who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including 83 patients with Long COVID and 13 people who recovered without symptoms.
Saliva Reveals a Deeper Problem Than Blood Tests
Unlike previous studies that looked at cortisol through blood samples, this research focused on saliva. Samples were taken at three points—morning, afternoon, and night. The Long COVID group had lower morning cortisol, higher evening cortisol, and a flat pattern throughout the day. This pattern is unhealthy and shows that the body has lost its natural rhythm.
Interestingly, blood cortisol levels were normal across all groups. However, Long COVID patients had higher levels of ACTH, a hormone that tells the body to produce more cortisol. This may be a sign that the brain is working harder to push out cortisol because the normal system is failing. One patient was even diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency.
A Warning Sign for Long COVID Sufferers
These findings point to long-term issues with the stress response system in those recovering from COVID-19. Disruptions in circadian rhythm and hormonal balance could help explain why so many Long COVID patients feel tired, mentally foggy, and unwell.
The study findings were published as an abstract in the peer reviewed journal: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1690698/abstract
For the latest COVID-19 news, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
Share
Tweet
Share
