If you’ve been searching for answers and are hoping a simple blood test might provide clarity, here’s the truth: there is currently no single blood test that can definitively diagnose Long COVID. And that’s one of the biggest hurdles patients face.
Doctors often run a wide range of blood tests in suspected Long COVID cases:
At The Spero Clinic, we’ve seen firsthand how these tests often come back “normal,” leaving both patients and providers without clear answers. Meanwhile, individuals continue to struggle with debilitating symptoms that deeply impact their daily lives.
The result? Too many are left undiagnosed, dismissed, or misdirected—when in reality, they are battling a complex post-viral, neuro-immune condition.
Long COVID often involves dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, chronic neuroinflammation, and immune system exhaustion—none of which are easily captured on routine blood work. While researchers are beginning to identify patterns like:
…these findings are still emerging and are not yet part of standardized diagnostic protocols.
That means a diagnosis of Long COVID often depends on the clinical picture—symptoms, patient history, and the exclusion of other causes—rather than on a single positive test.
At The Spero Clinic, we take a neurologic and functional approach to understanding Long COVID. Rather than focusing solely on lab markers, we look at the systems that are out of sync—particularly the vagus nerve, limbic system, and autonomic nervous system. When these systems are disrupted, the body can no longer regulate inflammation, energy, mood, or immune responses effectively.
Our job isn’t just to chase lab values. It’s to restore communication between the nervous and immune systems, helping the body reestablish balance and healing.
Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.
