Now, a US-wide trial will test whether tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, may be an effective treatment for people with long Covid. Mounting evidence suggests that the drugs have a broad anti-inflammatory effect on the body—a mechanism that’s of interest for treating long Covid. Scientists still don’t fully understand how and why long Covid occurs, but they’ve found persistent inflammation in many patients. Scripps researchers are recruiting 1,000 people across the country who are 18 years of age or older and have medical documentation of long Covid. Julia Moore Vogel, coprincipal investigator of the trial who herself has long Covid, says the remote design of the trial was intentional.