Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
@biologistbunk.bsky.social
Battling Long COVID for 5 years. Had 2 recoveries early on, still trying for a 3rd! Ran a LC clinical trial exploring two degrees of Intermittent Fasting and we got postive results! I love science, nature and helping others...
Pinned
Intermittent fasting and a no-sugar diet for Long COVID symptoms: a randomized crossover trial - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Intermittent fasting and a no-sugar diet for Long COVID symptoms: a randomized crossover trial
www.nature.com
Very pleased to share our positive trial results - at last! Jeff Novack PhD of PNWU opened doors, made key contributions and otherwise made this possible. A patient-friendly, low burden, all remote Long COVID trial. And a big THANK-YOU to all the trial participants!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
At Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 103 adults with long COVID received home injections of lidocaine with HP-β-CD for 36 weeks.
Quality of life and 28 out of 30 symptoms improved significantly with no serious side effects.
www.thelancet.com/journals/ecl...
Quality of life and 28 out of 30 symptoms improved significantly with no serious side effects.
www.thelancet.com/journals/ecl...
Effect of subcutaneous lidocaine–hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) on quality of life in patients with post-COVID condition: a 36-week observational interrupted time series study
Subcutaneous lidocaine–HP-β-CD was associated with significantly improved quality
of life and symptom burden in patients with post–COVID. This home-administered intervention
offers a scalable and pote...
www.thelancet.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:48 PM
At Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 103 adults with long COVID received home injections of lidocaine with HP-β-CD for 36 weeks.
Quality of life and 28 out of 30 symptoms improved significantly with no serious side effects.
www.thelancet.com/journals/ecl...
Quality of life and 28 out of 30 symptoms improved significantly with no serious side effects.
www.thelancet.com/journals/ecl...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
“When people asked, Why do you think it hit you so hard? it seemed to carry a tinge of suspicion. I must have done something wrong to bring #LongCovid upon myself as opposed to it being the cosmic car accident that illness so often is”
@philipandrewhoover.bsky.social thesicktimes.org/2025/11/28/y...
@philipandrewhoover.bsky.social thesicktimes.org/2025/11/28/y...
You know someone with Long COVID. They need you to ask about it genuinely. - The Sick Times
If community-building is a bulwark against autocracy, then asking after one another might be a good place to start.
thesicktimes.org
November 28, 2025 at 7:06 PM
“When people asked, Why do you think it hit you so hard? it seemed to carry a tinge of suspicion. I must have done something wrong to bring #LongCovid upon myself as opposed to it being the cosmic car accident that illness so often is”
@philipandrewhoover.bsky.social thesicktimes.org/2025/11/28/y...
@philipandrewhoover.bsky.social thesicktimes.org/2025/11/28/y...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Germany’s Schön Klinik surveyed 3,345 people with long COVID.
Only 36% saw improvement after nearly 3 years of symptoms.
Almost 90% were on long-term sick leave and 97% rated their care as poor or very poor.
www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejo...
Only 36% saw improvement after nearly 3 years of symptoms.
Almost 90% were on long-term sick leave and 97% rated their care as poor or very poor.
www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejo...
Thieme E-Journals - Pneumologie / Abstract
Thieme E-Books & E-Journals
www.thieme-connect.de
November 12, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Germany’s Schön Klinik surveyed 3,345 people with long COVID.
Only 36% saw improvement after nearly 3 years of symptoms.
Almost 90% were on long-term sick leave and 97% rated their care as poor or very poor.
www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejo...
Only 36% saw improvement after nearly 3 years of symptoms.
Almost 90% were on long-term sick leave and 97% rated their care as poor or very poor.
www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejo...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
A 'mum whose daughter has struggled for years with the effects of Covid is inviting SNP health secretary Neil Gray to hear her story in person at their home'
“Her room is like a hospital. She’s very sick and that’s what I want him to see.” @helen-goss.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IJ3PZY #LongCovidKids
“Her room is like a hospital. She’s very sick and that’s what I want him to see.” @helen-goss.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IJ3PZY #LongCovidKids
Westhill mum of long Covid girl invites SNP health chief to see suffering for himself
Helen Goss says her daughter Anna, 12, is one of the “forgotten children” who deserve better.
bit.ly
October 5, 2025 at 12:38 PM
A 'mum whose daughter has struggled for years with the effects of Covid is inviting SNP health secretary Neil Gray to hear her story in person at their home'
“Her room is like a hospital. She’s very sick and that’s what I want him to see.” @helen-goss.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IJ3PZY #LongCovidKids
“Her room is like a hospital. She’s very sick and that’s what I want him to see.” @helen-goss.bsky.social
bit.ly/3IJ3PZY #LongCovidKids
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
In her #Blog Katie explains more about the masterclass she gave on the three key elements of #storytelling.
"In my workshop, I first asked the participants to think of one word that encapsulated their Long Covid experience"
www.longcovidkids.org/post/self-ex...
#LongCovidStars #CreativeWriting
"In my workshop, I first asked the participants to think of one word that encapsulated their Long Covid experience"
www.longcovidkids.org/post/self-ex...
#LongCovidStars #CreativeWriting
Self-expression Through ARtS - Long Covid STARS
When I heard about Long Covid STARS, I thought how brilliant of an idea it was, since expressing myself through writing has been so cathartic for me personally. The aim of the project was to utilise a...
www.longcovidkids.org
September 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In her #Blog Katie explains more about the masterclass she gave on the three key elements of #storytelling.
"In my workshop, I first asked the participants to think of one word that encapsulated their Long Covid experience"
www.longcovidkids.org/post/self-ex...
#LongCovidStars #CreativeWriting
"In my workshop, I first asked the participants to think of one word that encapsulated their Long Covid experience"
www.longcovidkids.org/post/self-ex...
#LongCovidStars #CreativeWriting
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
🙏 to LCK trustee, Sarah Craner for her article
'Every Day Hurts: Reframing School Absence For Families Living with Chronic Illness'
Out now in the special #SEND edition of Attendance Magazine.
heyzine.com/flip-book/1f...
#AttendanceMagazine #Attendance #Education #Disability
#LongCovidKids
'Every Day Hurts: Reframing School Absence For Families Living with Chronic Illness'
Out now in the special #SEND edition of Attendance Magazine.
heyzine.com/flip-book/1f...
#AttendanceMagazine #Attendance #Education #Disability
#LongCovidKids
September 22, 2025 at 6:52 PM
🙏 to LCK trustee, Sarah Craner for her article
'Every Day Hurts: Reframing School Absence For Families Living with Chronic Illness'
Out now in the special #SEND edition of Attendance Magazine.
heyzine.com/flip-book/1f...
#AttendanceMagazine #Attendance #Education #Disability
#LongCovidKids
'Every Day Hurts: Reframing School Absence For Families Living with Chronic Illness'
Out now in the special #SEND edition of Attendance Magazine.
heyzine.com/flip-book/1f...
#AttendanceMagazine #Attendance #Education #Disability
#LongCovidKids
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
The CDC quietly neutered the best Covid data on the planet yesterday. ED data visualization has been stripped of age stratification, and state-by-state trends.
ED data has been far better for state by state trends than WW. Poof.
ED data has been far better for state by state trends than WW. Poof.
September 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
The CDC quietly neutered the best Covid data on the planet yesterday. ED data visualization has been stripped of age stratification, and state-by-state trends.
ED data has been far better for state by state trends than WW. Poof.
ED data has been far better for state by state trends than WW. Poof.
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
You're invited to a webinar introducing the Long COVID Treatment Trial (LoCITT) on August 26th at 2pm eastern / 11 am pacific:
scrippsresearch.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
We'll talk our remote study design & how you can contribute from wherever you are. There will be lots of time to discuss.
scrippsresearch.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
We'll talk our remote study design & how you can contribute from wherever you are. There will be lots of time to discuss.
![Text:
Long COVID Treatment Trial
Join Scripps Research for a live webinar introducing the Long COVID Treatment Trial (LoCITT). Register today!
[image of a person with dark skin and long dark hair leaning against a couch and looking at a tablet]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3ufy6o6m3fpqtoeug3o2hhyf/bafkreiglr3tvdzmusqklgy2kcb3e5b66uwkq6ripm3u5hkehy3pdvqknou@jpeg)
August 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
You're invited to a webinar introducing the Long COVID Treatment Trial (LoCITT) on August 26th at 2pm eastern / 11 am pacific:
scrippsresearch.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
We'll talk our remote study design & how you can contribute from wherever you are. There will be lots of time to discuss.
scrippsresearch.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
We'll talk our remote study design & how you can contribute from wherever you are. There will be lots of time to discuss.
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Graphic designer & advocate Derrick Kardos passed away last month due to complications of Long COVID 🕯️
"I am 52 and I have experienced more discrimination and stigma for being openly disabled by #LongCOVID than I ever did for being openly gay," he wrote in 2024.
thesicktimes.org/2025/08/08/b...
"I am 52 and I have experienced more discrimination and stigma for being openly disabled by #LongCOVID than I ever did for being openly gay," he wrote in 2024.
thesicktimes.org/2025/08/08/b...
‘Black Swan’ graphic designer, Derrick Kardos, dies at 53 due to complications of Long COVID - The Sick Times
Derrick Kardos, an Oscar-nominated graphic designer and Long COVID advocate, died on July 18 at the age of 53 due to complications of Long COVID, his family recently announced.
thesicktimes.org
August 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Graphic designer & advocate Derrick Kardos passed away last month due to complications of Long COVID 🕯️
"I am 52 and I have experienced more discrimination and stigma for being openly disabled by #LongCOVID than I ever did for being openly gay," he wrote in 2024.
thesicktimes.org/2025/08/08/b...
"I am 52 and I have experienced more discrimination and stigma for being openly disabled by #LongCOVID than I ever did for being openly gay," he wrote in 2024.
thesicktimes.org/2025/08/08/b...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Health(s)care.
A short talk for the 8th of August #severemeday2025 about how healthcare can be a frightening place for those of us living with severe ME.
We urgently need things to change. We need support, and you can help.
Because speaking,
1/
#pwME
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDw...
A short talk for the 8th of August #severemeday2025 about how healthcare can be a frightening place for those of us living with severe ME.
We urgently need things to change. We need support, and you can help.
Because speaking,
1/
#pwME
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDw...
Health(s)care *** Severe ME Day 2025
YouTube video by Anil about ME
www.youtube.com
August 7, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Health(s)care.
A short talk for the 8th of August #severemeday2025 about how healthcare can be a frightening place for those of us living with severe ME.
We urgently need things to change. We need support, and you can help.
Because speaking,
1/
#pwME
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDw...
A short talk for the 8th of August #severemeday2025 about how healthcare can be a frightening place for those of us living with severe ME.
We urgently need things to change. We need support, and you can help.
Because speaking,
1/
#pwME
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDw...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
This is a very exciting opportunity! Who are your fav science and health communicators? Maybe tag them in so they don’t miss this!
Attention science and health communicators: We are hosting our first informational session dedicated to helping you share about infection-associated chronic illnesses like Long COVID, ME/CFS, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. Reach out to corescicomm@mountsinai.org for more info!
August 1, 2025 at 12:08 AM
This is a very exciting opportunity! Who are your fav science and health communicators? Maybe tag them in so they don’t miss this!
Very pleased to share our positive trial results - at last! Jeff Novack PhD of PNWU opened doors, made key contributions and otherwise made this possible. A patient-friendly, low burden, all remote Long COVID trial. And a big THANK-YOU to all the trial participants!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Intermittent fasting and a no-sugar diet for Long COVID symptoms: a randomized crossover trial - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Intermittent fasting and a no-sugar diet for Long COVID symptoms: a randomized crossover trial
www.nature.com
July 29, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Very pleased to share our positive trial results - at last! Jeff Novack PhD of PNWU opened doors, made key contributions and otherwise made this possible. A patient-friendly, low burden, all remote Long COVID trial. And a big THANK-YOU to all the trial participants!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
“We know that more than half of the children who are being hospitalized for Covid are less than age 2, and among those, most of them do not have an underlying medical condition,” Havers told STAT in an interview. Havers had led the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network."
FDA grants full approval for Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility.
The vaccine is only cleared for kids who have at least one condition that puts them at an increased risk.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/10/m...
The vaccine is only cleared for kids who have at least one condition that puts them at an increased risk.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/10/m...
FDA grants full approval to Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility
Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children has been given full FDA approval, making it the first such shot for kids in the U.S. that will no longer be administered under an emergency use authorization.
www.statnews.com
July 11, 2025 at 10:52 PM
“We know that more than half of the children who are being hospitalized for Covid are less than age 2, and among those, most of them do not have an underlying medical condition,” Havers told STAT in an interview. Havers had led the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network."
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
"the most robust studies" collectively suggest the number of children who get infected with COVID and then develop long COVID "is higher than the prevalence of asthma in children in the U.S." @virusesimmunity.bsky.social
www.newsweek.com/why-are-so-m...
www.newsweek.com/why-are-so-m...
Why are so many children getting long COVID?
A study by Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) last year found that up to 5.8 million American children now have long COVID.
www.newsweek.com
July 5, 2025 at 6:07 AM
"the most robust studies" collectively suggest the number of children who get infected with COVID and then develop long COVID "is higher than the prevalence of asthma in children in the U.S." @virusesimmunity.bsky.social
www.newsweek.com/why-are-so-m...
www.newsweek.com/why-are-so-m...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
St Louis researchers found that a single viral protein, ORF3a, from SARS-CoV-2 disrupts placental development by blocking autophagy and damaging the placental barrier, offering a direct link to preeclampsia-like symptoms in infected pregnancies.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
ORF3a is a key driver of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated placental dysfunction
SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia (PE), a hypertensive disorder, but the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify ORF3...
www.researchsquare.com
July 4, 2025 at 1:52 PM
St Louis researchers found that a single viral protein, ORF3a, from SARS-CoV-2 disrupts placental development by blocking autophagy and damaging the placental barrier, offering a direct link to preeclampsia-like symptoms in infected pregnancies.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Researchers found that in mice, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein triggers microglial senescence and cognitive impairment by disrupting mitochondria and shifting energy use toward glycolysis.
Blocking glycolysis reversed the damage.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
Blocking glycolysis reversed the damage.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein induces microglia senescence- mediated cognitive impairment via glycolysis
COVID-19-associated cognitive dysfunction has emerged as a significant public health challenge, creating substantial socioeconomic burdens for affected individuals, their families, and healthcare syst...
www.researchsquare.com
June 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Researchers found that in mice, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein triggers microglial senescence and cognitive impairment by disrupting mitochondria and shifting energy use toward glycolysis.
Blocking glycolysis reversed the damage.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
Blocking glycolysis reversed the damage.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...
Perhaps as many as 10% of those with #LongCOVID had their symptoms first begin within hours or days of their COVID-19 vaccination. These needs to be acknowledged, researched and treated. Not ignored or dismissed. www.statnews.com/2025/06/10/y...
We have ‘post-vaccination syndrome.’ We are tired of being used to score anti-vax points
“One side of the vaccine debate is using us to score points. The other side is disregarding us entirely. Neither seems to be listening to us,” write three people with post-vaccination syndrome.
www.statnews.com
June 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Perhaps as many as 10% of those with #LongCOVID had their symptoms first begin within hours or days of their COVID-19 vaccination. These needs to be acknowledged, researched and treated. Not ignored or dismissed. www.statnews.com/2025/06/10/y...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Can’t make it to our Long COVID meeting this August? 🧠🌍
No problem — stream it LIVE from anywhere! 🎥
Join top global experts diving deep into Long COVID + related conditions.
🔗 Register: keysym.us/KSLongCOVID26
#KSLongCOVID26 #LongCOVID @virusesimmunity.bsky.social @ahandvanish.bsky.social
No problem — stream it LIVE from anywhere! 🎥
Join top global experts diving deep into Long COVID + related conditions.
🔗 Register: keysym.us/KSLongCOVID26
#KSLongCOVID26 #LongCOVID @virusesimmunity.bsky.social @ahandvanish.bsky.social
May 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Can’t make it to our Long COVID meeting this August? 🧠🌍
No problem — stream it LIVE from anywhere! 🎥
Join top global experts diving deep into Long COVID + related conditions.
🔗 Register: keysym.us/KSLongCOVID26
#KSLongCOVID26 #LongCOVID @virusesimmunity.bsky.social @ahandvanish.bsky.social
No problem — stream it LIVE from anywhere! 🎥
Join top global experts diving deep into Long COVID + related conditions.
🔗 Register: keysym.us/KSLongCOVID26
#KSLongCOVID26 #LongCOVID @virusesimmunity.bsky.social @ahandvanish.bsky.social
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Researchers in Germany analyzed over 250,000 single cells and found that two drugs, phenformin and atpenin A5, can block replication of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2, dengue, RSV, and flu by targeting host cell metabolism.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Metabolic modeling elucidates phenformin and atpenin A5 as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs against RNA viruses - Communications Biology
A metabolic modeling approach reveals druggable host cell pathways essential for viral replication across various viruses with minimal cytotoxicity. These findings highlight cellular metabolism as a p...
www.nature.com
May 23, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Researchers in Germany analyzed over 250,000 single cells and found that two drugs, phenformin and atpenin A5, can block replication of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2, dengue, RSV, and flu by targeting host cell metabolism.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
New York researchers found that depleting nerve- and airway-associated macrophages in mice led to 100% death from SARS-CoV-2, while intact macrophages used interferon signals to curb inflammation and protect the lungs from severe damage.
www.cell.com/immunity/abs...
www.cell.com/immunity/abs...
Nerve- and airway-associated interstitial macrophages mitigate SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis via type I interferon signaling
The local immunoregulatory mechanisms that safeguard the host from excessive lung
infection inflammation remain unclear. Yeung, Yokota et al. uncover the essential
role of nerve- and airway-associated...
www.cell.com
May 13, 2025 at 8:54 PM
New York researchers found that depleting nerve- and airway-associated macrophages in mice led to 100% death from SARS-CoV-2, while intact macrophages used interferon signals to curb inflammation and protect the lungs from severe damage.
www.cell.com/immunity/abs...
www.cell.com/immunity/abs...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
May 10, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
Moderna’s combined Covid and flu shot outperformed the existing standalone vaccines for both viruses, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Moderna's combo Covid and flu mRNA shot outperforms current vaccines in large trial
A combination shot would make it easier for people to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu at the same time.
www.nbcnews.com
May 8, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Moderna’s combined Covid and flu shot outperformed the existing standalone vaccines for both viruses, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial.
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
This is full of really useful information about #LongCOVID. Congrats, @patientled.bsky.social !
rehabcovidnetwork.med.utoronto.ca/news/patient...
rehabcovidnetwork.med.utoronto.ca/news/patient...
Patient-Led Research Collaborative Launches Fact Sheet
rehabcovidnetwork.med.utoronto.ca
April 26, 2025 at 12:11 PM
This is full of really useful information about #LongCOVID. Congrats, @patientled.bsky.social !
rehabcovidnetwork.med.utoronto.ca/news/patient...
rehabcovidnetwork.med.utoronto.ca/news/patient...
Reposted by Thomas Bunker Ph.D.
