Coronavirus Research

Over a third of Americans worry about getting the flu, RSV, or COVID-19

American adults are worried they or loved ones will succumb to the ‘tripledemic’ illnesses in the next three months, according to a new health survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

A space for lifesaving, collaborative work

Gov. Josh Shapiro, President Liz Magill, and others from the University community celebrated the new home of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation.

A person wearing latex gloves using a pipette and a microscope in a lab.

A new understanding of immune response during SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections

New research by Penn Medicine finds T cells to be a critical defense against severe illness in the first days after infection, giving clues that could lead to stronger vaccines.

Long COVID brain fog may originate in a surprising place, say scientists

A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues finds that long COVID’s neurological symptoms, like brain fog, memory loss, and fatigue, may stem from serotonin reduction.

Long COVID research is in its ‘most hopeful’ phase yet

A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues suggests that serotonin could be a target for long COVID treatment.

A crucial pattern behind long COVID may have been identified

A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues suggests that several current hypotheses for the pathophysiology of long COVID are linked by a single pathway that is connected by serotonin reduction.

Image: iStock/Rasi Bhadramani

Viral persistence and serotonin reduction can cause long COVID symptoms

A new Penn Medicine study finds components of the SARS-CoV-2 virus remain in the gut of some long COVID patients, causing persistent inflammation, vagus nerve dysfunction, and neurological symptoms.

Study of serotonin levels offers hope for long COVID treatment

A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues finds that long COVID is associated with lower levels of circulating serotonin, which could be relevant for its neurological, cognitive, and memory symptoms.

New research links symptoms of long COVID to serotonin levels—and more

A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues shows that long COVID can deplete peripheral serotonin levels, offering a baseline for treatment with serotonin supplementation.

Beyond COVID vaccines: What else could mRNA technology do for our health?

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine are lauded for receiving the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries in mRNA biology.

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