There is a Long COVID Study in progress via the cooperation BiomeSight.com and Microbiome Prescrption. The data is not yet processed for the study, but we have some interest results already from those that uploaded their samples and marked Long COVID as a symptom.

Bacteria	Taxonomy Rank	Average Percentile	Frequency Seen in this Group	Frequency Seen in All Samples
Micrococcaceae	family	19	45.8	36.5
Actinobacteria	phylum	19.7	100	99.7
cellular organisms	norank	20	100	99.9
Adlercreutzia equolifaciens	species	20.1	62.5	42.8
Peptostreptococcaceae	family	22.8	95.8	96.5
Butyricimonas virosa	species	23.3	41.7	38.8
Sarcina	genus	24.7	45.8	52.4
Enterobacter	genus	25.1	41.7	23.6
Lactobacillaceae	family	26	95.8	94.9
Coriobacteriia	class	27	100	99
Actinomycetia	class	27.6	100	99.2
Adlercreutzia	genus	27.8	66.7	45.3
Slackia faecicanis	species	28	37.5	11.8
Bifidobacterium adolescentis	species	28.1	79.2	31.4
Rhodovibrionaceae	family	28.4	37.5	0
Blautia wexlerae	species	29.2	100	94.4
Anaerostipes	genus	29.7	95.8	96.1
Salinicoccus luteus	species	30.9	37.5	12.6
Staphylococcaceae	family	30.9	62.5	40.4
Bifidobacteriales	order	31.2	100	89.7
Holdemanella biformis	species	31.3	66.7	32.7
Coriobacteriales	order	31.3	100	95.7
Holdemanella	genus	31.4	66.7	32.8
Eubacteriales incertae sedis	norank	31.5	95.8	89.5
Bifidobacteriaceae	family	31.7	100	89.6
Fusobacteria	phylum	31.7	45.8	40.8
Fusobacteriia	class	31.8	45.8	40.7
Eggerthellales	order	31.8	100	97
Eggerthellaceae	family	31.9	100	97
Terrabacteria group	clade	31.9	100	99.9
Fusobacteriales	order	32	45.8	40.7
Collinsella	genus	32	91.7	89.4
Leuconostocaceae	family	32	62.5	54.4
Coriobacteriaceae	family	32.7	100	94.7
Bifidobacterium	genus	33	100	88.2
Pseudobutyrivibrio	genus	33.2	79.2	81.6
Turicibacter sanguinis	species	33.8	62.5	55.5
Bacteroides denticanum	species	34.2	70.8	21.9
Fusobacterium	genus	34.2	41.7	33.9
Erysipelotrichaceae	family	34.4	100	98.8
Dorea	genus	34.4	100	98.3
Natranaerobiales	order	34.5	54.2	21
Actinomycetaceae	family	34.6	87.5	82.5
Roseburia faecis	species	34.8	95.8	80.9
Veillonella montpellierensis	species	34.9	37.5	14.6
Holdemania	genus	65.7	95.8	77.6
Chlorobaculum	genus	67.4	50	20.2
Bacteroides ovatus	species	67.6	100	73.9
Anaerotruncus colihominis	species	69.1	100	65.8
Oscillospira	genus	75.1	75	55.5

What is striking is not higher counts, but certain bacteria are being seen a lot more often. In fact, no bacteria is seen less often with Long COVID people but the amount may be less. That is more types of bacteria but with lower levels than average.

Note: Percentile means the percentile ranking of samples for a specific bacteria. The expected percentile for a random sample of people is 50%ile. Thus a lower percentile means that the median of the group is less than the median of the population. A higher percentile means that the median of the group is higher than the median of the population. The severe skewness of bacteria distribution does not mean the the average of the sample is lower or higher than the average of the population — in fact, they may be the same. (Welcome to statistical gymnastics 301!!!)

The ME/CFS Connection

This type of novel analysis (using frequency of detection and not amount of bacteria) results in Long COVID and Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). being very similar at the microbiome level. see Bacteria Shifts Seen in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.