Four-year follow-up to find predictors of long COVID progression
Official title: To Analyze the Determining Factors in the Evolution of Subjects Diagnosed With Long COVID at Four Years of Follow-up. BioICOPER Follow-up Study.
Run by Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca · NCT07295483 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This follow-up will try to see if changes in blood proteins and blood vessel tests can predict how long COVID symptoms, especially persistent fatigue, change over four years in people who had long COVID.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 400 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Salamanca, Salamanca) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 9, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 2029 |
| Study ends | June 2029 |
| Registry record updated | March 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07295483 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (≥18) with a prior confirmed SARS‑CoV‑2 infection who meet WHO criteria for long COVID and who participated in the original BioICOPER baseline study and can give informed consent for re-evaluation.
✕Probably not a fit
People who cannot attend in-person assessments, who have acute illnesses preventing participation, or whose limitations prevent data collection (severe cognitive or physical impairment) may not benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The BioICOPER follow-up is a prospective observational cohort of 400 adults with confirmed long COVID who previously joined the baseline BioICOPER cohort and will be re-evaluated four years later. Participants will have detailed clinical symptom inventories, lifestyle questionnaires, vascular imaging (carotid ultrasound, pulse wave velocity, retinal imaging), and advanced proteomic blood analyses including SARS‑CoV‑2 protein quantification. Results from these biological and vascular measures will be integrated with machine-learning models to identify biomarkers and build predictive signatures, with analyses stratified by sex. The project includes citizen engagement through a local committee for review and dissemination of findings to patients and primary care providers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could enable earlier identification of people at risk of worsening long COVID and support more personalized diagnostic and management decisions based on biological and vascular markers.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller proteomic and vascular studies have suggested biological signatures linked to post‑acute COVID symptoms, but large multi-year follow-ups combining proteomics, vascular imaging, and AI-based prediction remain relatively novel and not yet widely validated.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults ≥18 years old. * Confirmed previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. * Diagnosis of long COVID according to WHO criteria. * Participation in the baseline BioICOPER study. * Signed informed consent for re-evaluation. Exclusion Criteria: * Acute illness preventing participation. * Cognitive or physical impairment limiting data collection. * Withdrawal of informed consent. * Age \< 18 years old
Where it's running
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Av. de Portugal 83. Planta 2
Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Manuel Angel Gomez Marcos, MD, PhD — Centro Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca (CAUSA)
- Study coordinator: Manuel Angel Gómez Marcos, MD, PhD
- Email: magomez@usal.es
- Phone: +346751143551
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.