Ruth Ann Crystal, MD

Ob/Gyn Dr, Innovator, Baker, Francophile. Love to learn. Stanford Clinical Faculty.
Weekly COVID news: @drruth.bsky.social

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

💥Please Retweet!💥

✨Weekly COVID news✨ summarized for you at https://t.co/ZxSlisbwxT

🔎I spend hours each week scouring Twitter and the web for the latest COVID articles summarized in a friendly format.

🚀Please check out my newsletter!

[Amy Proal, PhD @microbeminded2]

Check out these talk summaries from our recent PolyBio Symposium👇

Highlights include that four groups — Tim Henrich (UCSF), Marcus Buggert (Karolinska), Nicolas Huot (Institut Pasteur), and Esen Sefik (Yale) — presented different lines of evidence (human gut biopsies, non-human primate models, humanized mice) all pointing to the same conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 persists in #LongCovid gut tissue and adjacent lymphoid structures, and that persistence drives ongoing immune dysregulation.

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

🚨FDA just approved XOCOVA (Ensitrelvir) pill for COVID post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

🔹First oral pill to PREVENT COVID after exposure
🔹67% risk reduction through Day 10
🔹Works regardless of vaccination status

Game changer. https://t.co/VxPIqPsJDX

#COVID #publichealth

[Tweeter4Truth @tweeter4truth]

📢"A cohort study of 457,950 hospitalized #COVID patients across 58 US hospitals using AI found that
*1 in 6* patients (16.3%) had #LongCOVID, with 89% of those cases progressing to chronic conditions.

MORE AT Dr. Ruth Report, 5/31/26, by @CatchTheBaby https://t.co/5L00jxVv8w

[Vipin M. Vashishtha @vipintukur]

A new animal study suggests that exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein during early brain development may have lasting neurological consequences, even in the absence of active viral infection.

➡️ In neonatal mice, a single exposure increased seizure susceptibility, triggered brain inflammation, and caused loss of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses in key brain regions. 1/

H/T: @CatchTheBaby

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

@VstocksV So far, it is being tried on other autoimmune diseases. Some cases of Long COVID may have autoimmunity as a root cause, but this therapy needs to be tried on others first.

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

This week in Science 🧪
🔹 1 in 6 people has Long COVID; Billing codes miss >50%
🔹 Autoantibodies cause Long COVID neuro symptoms
🔹 Long COVID⬆️ CV risks & death
🔹 CAR therapy resets Autoimmune diseases
🔹 Hope for Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Ruth Report
👉 https://t.co/6cFQvmNnlE

[Shana Bates, RN @shanabates]

Dr. Ruth Report, 5/31/26, by @CatchTheBaby https://t.co/p4kPg2SVcm

[Vipin M. Vashishtha @vipintukur]

Experiments in human stem cell–derived neurons and hamster models showed that both live virus and the viral spike protein could induce this injury.

➡️ Importantly, blocking TRPV1 with the drug capsazepine reduced neuronal damage and preserved nerve integrity, suggesting that TRPV1-targeted therapies may help prevent or treat COVID-19–related anosmia.
2/2

H/T: @CatchTheBaby

https://t.co/WjNGwsyCRr

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

This week in Science 🧪
🔹 1 in 6 people has Long COVID; Billing codes miss >50%
🔹 Autoantibodies cause Long COVID neuro symptoms
🔹 Long COVID⬆️ CV risks & death
🔹 CAR therapy resets Autoimmune diseases
🔹 Hope for Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Ruth Report
👉 https://t.co/6cFQvmNnlE

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

When a keyboardist fell ill mid-performance, composer Justin Hurwitz asked the 2,000-person audience for a sight reader.

21-year-old Sterling Nasa stepped up, delivered a solo on "Start a Fire," and walked away considering music as a career. https://t.co/h4hMto7vTQ

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

This week in Science 🧪
🔹 1 in 6 people has Long COVID; Billing codes miss >50%
🔹 Autoantibodies cause Long COVID neuro symptoms
🔹 Long COVID⬆️ CV risks & death
🔹 CAR therapy resets Autoimmune diseases
🔹 Hope for Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Ruth Report
👉 https://t.co/6cFQvmNnlE

[Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD @MVGutierrezMD]

New JAMA Network Open study:

📊 Long COVID prevalence estimated at ~16%
🏥 58 U.S. hospitals
🤖 AI-based EHR phenotyping
⚠️ Diagnosis codes alone missed many cases

The burden of #LongCOVID is likely much larger than initial data suggest.

https://t.co/uqyJoejzDb

[Jerome Adams @JeromeAdamsMD]

Update from my colonoscopy yesterday: Procedure went smoothly! The prep wasn’t bad - pro tip: a clear liquid diet the day before (eg broth, apple juice, clear Jell-O) makes it much easier. And butt wipes (trust me).

Found one polyp, which was removed. Awaiting biopsy results, but that’s exactly why we screen: early detection saves lives.

DYK: Colonoscopies can⬇️ colorectal cancer risk by 69% and deaths bu 88% by catching and removing precancerous polyps early!

If you’re 45+, talk to your doctor about screening. Don’t wait - peace of mind is worth it!

[Vipin M. Vashishtha @vipintukur]

Several of these biological changes — especially markers linked to inflammation, low-oxygen stress, and mitochondrial function — were strongly associated with symptom severity.

➡️ The findings support the idea that LongCOVID is a complex “immunometabolic” condition involving coordinated disturbances in immune regulation, cellular energy production, and cell survival pathways, rather than a purely psychological or isolated post-viral syndrome. 2/2

H/T: @CatchTheBaby

https://t.co/cxnLWVkeqL

[Prognostic Chats @PrognosticChats]

Neurological consequences of Covid infections with Shingles leading to further downstream conditions, journal link in the post

[Stanford SMADIE @StanfordSMADIE]

Calling all #disabled folks in #medicine!

Our board member Zoey is seeking participants for an anonymous online survey (15-30 min) for her dissertation/thesis!

Share your experiences with community, mentorship, and more!

https://t.co/yQb3plRbiX

#DocsWithDisabilities

[Salvatore Mattera @SalvMattera]

Know anyone who participated in this trial?

[Gil 🏳️‍🌈 @Gilbro2010]

La COVID augmente votre risque de zona. De nouvelles données provenant de plus de 110 000 patients de Taïwan montrent que le zona post-COVID augmente également le risque de
➡️ Paralysie de Bell
➡️ Guillain-Barré
➡️ Myasthénie grave
Le pire de tout?
La vulnérabilité neurologique dure au moins 3 ans.

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

Are ME/CFS and Long COVID the same?
New immune profiling says NO.

A new study of PBMCs reveals distinct pathophysiologies:
➡️ Long COVID shows chronic immune overactivation
➡️ ME/CFS shows immune suppression

Crucial data for targeted treatments. https://t.co/R35mf9XOnj

[Ruth Ann Crystal, MD @CatchTheBaby]

COVID raises your shingles risk.

New data from 110,000+ patients out of Taiwan shows that post-COVID Shingles also raise risk of
➡️ Bell's palsy
➡️ Guillain Barré
➡️ Myasthenia Gravis

Worst of all? Neurological vulnerability lasts for at least 3 years. https://t.co/W2MDpgMdmx

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

The ramp up of cancer immunotherapy is remarkable. Now we're seeing vaccines achieve some cures or remissions in the most refractory cancers: pancreatic, melanoma, glioblastoma, renal, triple-negative breast cancer.
✓ out the new Ground Truths (link in profile)