Is COVID Long-Haul a disease of the gut
We are confronted with the reality that the legacy that is left behind from COVID-19 is a tremendous number of people suffering from long-term adverse symptoms that were triggered by the disease. It is has been estimated that more than 5% of the people who had COVID-19 including those with reasonably mild symptoms may suffer from Long-COVID symptoms. This would translate to potentially several million people who will be seeking answers to their Long-COVID symptoms. As research has started to probe the mechanism(s) underlying Long-COVID it has started to reveal that one of the significant contributors is related to the relationship between the intestinal and respiratory microbiome and the enteric immune system. A recent paper entitled “Gut and Airway Microbiota Dysbiosis and their role in Long-COVID” (Front Immunol 2023;14:1080043) advanced the concept that in many patients Long-COVID may result from dysbiosis of the intestinal and respiratory microbiomes that then induce chronic fatigue/bioenergetic deficit symptoms that characterize the symptom profile of patients who had COVID-19. This presentation will explore this concept and the basic and clinical science supporting it. The attendees will learn of the most recent work surrounding the connection between the gut and respiratory microbiomes and Long-COVID and new potential clinical approaches to the management of this issue.
Hourly Schedule
May 30, 2023
- 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
- Jeff Bland
- 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
- David Groeger Ph.D
- 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
- "Microbes, Metabolites and Long COVID"Microbes, Metabolites and Long COVID"
- Liam O'Mahony
- 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
- Panel Discussion
Speakers
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Jeff Bland, PhDJeffrey Bland, PhD, is a pioneering figure in the food-is-medicine movement and a leading expert in nutritional biochemistry. As founder of Big Bold Health, he now focuses on longevity through immune health, championing the concept of immune rejuvenation as a pathway to healthy aging. Dr. Bland’s work highlights the powerful role of plant polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids in supporting immune resilience. Widely known as the “father of Functional Medicine,” he has spent more than 40 years advancing nutrition science, regenerative agriculture, and personalized approaches to lifelong vitality.
Dr. Bland began his career in academia as a university professor. In the early 1980s, he became a protégé of two-time Nobel Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling. Dr. Bland then spent decades as a natural products industry insider and entrepreneur, while also serving as a scientific advisor and mentor to dynamic founders and leading brands.
A lifelong educator, Dr. Bland has traveled the world many times over as a renowned speaker. In 1991, he and his wife, Susan, founded The Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2012, they established another educational nonprofit called The Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute, which brings together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to focus on new models of healthcare delivery, advancements in medical nutrition therapy, and exciting emerging science.
Dr. Bland is the author of The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life, as well as additional books and many research papers. His next book will be published by HarperCollins in March 2027. The Nourished Gene: Rejuvenate Your Immunity, Reverse Chronic Symptoms, and Activate Your Longevity is now available for pre-order from all major booksellers.
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David Groeger PhDDr. David Groeger is a Scientific Innovation Manager in the Science and Medical Affairs team in Novozymes OneHealth. He has 16 years’ experience working in R&D in the probiotic industry, and has also spent significant time doing research in APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork, and Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research affiliated with University of Zurich. His main research interest is how the host interacts with beneficial microbes, particularly how immunoregulatory microbes modulate mucosal inflammatory responses.
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Liam O’MahonyProf. Liam O’Mahony is the Prof. of Immunology at the Department of Medicine and School of Microbiology, APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. His research interests are focused on the molecular basis for microbe and metabolite modulation of mucosal inflammatory responses. In particular, Prof. O’Mahony is investigating the basic mechanisms by which microbes influence allergic sensitization and defence from viral infections.
Prof. O’Mahony has published 206 papers, with over 30,000 citations and a h-index of 81. He is an Allergy editor, and served as EAACI Treasurer from 2019 to 2022.
