A new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens has found that exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 may lead to chronic health impacts years after the initial illness. Researchers examined rhesus macaques infected with the delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and found persistent parameters of disease in 60% to 90% of the animals, even though overt symptoms appeared relatively mild.
The study suggests that long COVID may be more common than currently estimated, affecting as many as one in five people. The researchers monitored the macaques for six months and found evidence for lung pathology, sleep disturbance, and changes in blood biomarkers that predict the risk for cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension, obesity, and insulin resistance.
The findings may provide proof that long COVID is affecting a lot more people than thought, particularly those who experience lingering symptoms. The researchers are now planning to test early interventions in nonhuman primates to see if they can mitigate some of the metabolic changes seen following infection.
Source: https://news.ohsu.edu/2025/07/24/study-suggests-long-covid-is-more-prevalent-than-previously-thought