Dr Funmi Okunola interviews Professer Rob Wüst,Associate Professor of Muscle Physiology in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the VU University in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Professor Mark Faghy, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at the Loughborough University in the UK about the seminal research they have conducted for the Long COVID community. This is part 1 of a two part podcast special.

REFERENCES

1. International Society for Long COVID and Post Acute Infection Syndromes

2. Appelman B, Charlton BT, Goulding RP, Kerkhoff TJ, Breedveld EA, Noort W, Offringa C, Bloemers FW, van Weeghel M, Schomakers BV, Coelho P. "Muscle abnormalities worsen after post-exertional malaise in long COVID". Nature communications. 2024 Jan 4;15(1):17.

3. Unraveled: Understanding Complex Illness with Dr David Kaufman and Dr Ilene Ruhoy

4. Profiling the Determinants of Long COVID by Professor Mark Faghy et al

Dr Funmi Okunola interviews Professer Rob Wüst,Associate Professor of Muscle Physiology in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the VU University in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Professor Mark Faghy, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at the Loughborough University in the UK about the recent scientific publication that they both contributed to; the International Society for Long COVID and Post Acute Infection Syndromes (ISLC-PAIS) and the conference pertaining to this organisation being held in August 2026 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

REFERENCES

1. Faghy MA, Wüst RC, Altmann DM, Ashton RE, McMullen SB, Duncan R, Ewing AG, Hausmann E, Gupta S, Hornig M, Joffe D. "Current status and future perspectives on the mechanistic and pathophysiological understanding of long COVID." Communications medicine. 2026 Apr 29;6(1):255.

2. The BMJ Article that stimulated the formation of the nature publication "Current Status and Future Perspectives on the Mechanistic and Pathophsiological Understanding of Long COVID".

3. The International Society for Long COVID and Post Acute Infection Syndromes

Dr Funmi Okunola MD interviews Dr Guillaume Dedet MD, MPH, MSc, MA - Senior Health Economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and

Dr David Kelly MD, MPH, MRCIP, CSCST - Public Health Physician & Epidemiologist at the OECD about their April 2026 report - "Addressing the Costs & Care of Long COVID for Long COVID the Long Shadow of the Pandemic". We also dive into their October 2025 OECD report - "The Prevalence and Impact of Long COVID in the Primary Care Population - Findings from the OECD PaRIS Survey".

REFERENCES

1. Addressing the Costs & Care of Long COVID for Long COVID the Long Shadow of the Pandemic.

2. The Prevalence and Impact of Long COVID in the Primary Care Population - Findings from the OECD PaRIS Survey