BBC News
By BBC Panorama
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Scientists say they have detected irregularities in the blood of long Covid patients that could one day pave the way for a test for the condition.
Imperial College London researchers found a pattern of rogue antibodies in the blood of a small number of people with long Covid.
They hope it could lead to a simple blood test within six to 18 months.
Dr Elaine Maxwell, from the National Institute of Health Research, said the early findings were "exciting".
She said there could be "a number of different things happening after a Covid-19 infection" and an autoimmune response "has been one of the suspected mechanisms".