Blood test could help detect who will get long COVID, study shows

Lower levels of a certain antibody that can be detected through a blood test might be able to indicate whether a person is more likely to get long COVID, according to a new study.

The study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications found that people who develop long-term symptoms of the virus have lower levels of two immunoglobulins — IgM and IgG3 — shortly after being infected with the virus, NBC News reported. 

The immunoglobulins are antibodies that the immune system produces to fight off infections.

Those lower antibody levels were about 75 percent effective in predicting whether a patient would develop long-term symptoms, researchers said.