Long COVID SyndromeNCT07418567
A Fasting Pilot Study for Long COVID
A study testing prolonged fasting in people with Long COVID Syndrome, run by Université de Sherbrooke at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Background Long COVID (LC) is a chronic multisystemic condition which substantially impact the quality of life. Despite the staggering burden of LC, there is still no effective treatment. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Long COVID Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- prolonged fasting
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 25 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 1 May 2025to 1 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18-64 years
- Diagnosis Long Covid based on WHO criteria (post-acute COVID-19 symptoms persisting ≥12 weeks) and validiated by an experienced cinician
- Normal body Mass Index (18.5 to 39 kg/m2)
- Able to communicate in and comprehend English and/or French language
- Present written / signed declaration of consent
- Ability to understand the patient information and willingness to sign the consent form
- Willing to limit physical activity during prolonged fasting
Who cannot join
- Current underweight condition (body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2) or weight loss exceeding 3 kg within the last month or 5 kg within the last three months.
- Current or history of eating disorder (e.g., anorexia, bulimia).
- Psychiatric condition that limits understanding of the examination protocol (unable to consent)
- Participation in another intervention study.
- Fasting during the last six months
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding status.
Show all 19Show fewer
- Diagnosis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, celiac disease or colorectal cancer according to the guidelines of the Canadian Society of Gastroenterology
- Use of anti-psychotic drugs
- Start of novel drug therapy for long COVID
- Contraindication for additional blood draws (e.g. hemoglobin <100)
- Taking opioid analgesics or undergoing treatment for opioid addiction
- Opioid dependence or withdrawal syndrome
- Type 1 or 2 Diabetes, or history of hypoglycemia
- Active cancer
- Baseline E+ (Na, K, Mg, phosphate) within normal range
- Baseline ALT < 60
- Baseline Hb > 100
- Baseline INR within normal range
- Baseline DFG < 50
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Prospective Pilot Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Prolonged Fasting for the Treatment of Long COVID Patients
Background Long COVID (LC) is a chronic multisystemic condition which substantially impact the quality of life. Despite the staggering burden of LC, there is still no effective treatment.
Because fasting promotes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, which are involved in the pathophysiology of LC, we hypothesized that it might improve daily functioning and health-related quality of life in patients with LC.
Read more
The aim of this single center, one arm, prospective pilot clinical trial will be to assess the feasibility and acceptability of prolonged fasting for LC. The main questions aims to answers are;
- Does in-home prolonged fasting (7 days) is feasible and acceptable for patients with LC
- Is there a clinical benefit associated with fasting is LC patients
Participants (adults 18 year and older) will be asked to
- Fast for 7 days
- Have in-person visit at baseline (day 0) and at day 9 for checkups and tests
- Answer difference questionnnaires about their perceived health during and after fasting
- Conditions
- Long COVID Syndrome
- Being tested
- prolonged fasting
- Keywords
- long COVID, pilot clinical trial, Fasting
- Medical subject headings
- Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Fasting
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
prolonged fastingOther
Participants will be fasting for 7 days
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting arm | Experimental | Participants will be allowed to continue their regular drug treatment Receives: Other: prolonged fasting |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility and Acceptability
Retention rates will be used to measure feasibility and response to Likert-like questions for measuring acceptability
Measured: From baseline (day 0) to end of follow up day 30
Secondary outcomes (1)
Mean changes from baseline to one month post-fasting on the SF 36 physical component score questionnaire
The SF 36 questionnaire is a validated scale for assessment and monitoring of patients with LC. The 36-item scale includes 8 subscales : role functioning-physical, body pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role functioning-emotional, and mental health.
Measured: From baseline (day 0) to the end of follow up at day 30
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Feb 2026
- Study start1 May 2025
- Primary completion1 Nov 2025
- Study completion1 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Long COVID SyndromeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- This study includes a single arm
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07418567
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PF study
- Other IDs
- Programme PAFI 2024-2025
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 18 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Except for the study protocol that we are willing to share, personal and confidential will not be shared
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Prospective Pilot Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Prolonged Fasting for the Treatment of Long COVID Patients
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07418567
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PF study
- Conditions
- Long COVID Syndrome
- Keywords
- long COVID, pilot clinical trial, Fasting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Université de SherbrookeUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke
- Study start
- 1 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background Long COVID (LC) is a chronic multisystemic condition which substantially impact the quality of life. Despite the staggering burden of LC, there is still no effective treatment.
Because fasting promotes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, which are involved in the pathophysiology of LC, we hypothesized that it might improve daily functioning and health-related quality of life in patients with LC.
The aim of this single center, one arm, prospective pilot clinical trial will be to assess the feasibility and acceptability of prolonged fasting for LC. The main questions aims to answers are;
- Does in-home prolonged fasting (7 days) is feasible and acceptable for patients with LC
- Is there a clinical benefit associated with fasting is LC patients
Participants (adults 18 year and older) will be asked to
- Fast for 7 days
- Have in-person visit at baseline (day 0) and at day 9 for checkups and tests
- Answer difference questionnnaires about their perceived health during and after fasting
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- This study includes a single arm
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting arm | Experimental | Other: prolonged fastingParticipants will be allowed to continue their regular drug treatment |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Age 18-64 years
- Diagnosis Long Covid based on WHO criteria (post-acute COVID-19 symptoms persisting ≥12 weeks) and validiated by an experienced cinician
- Normal body Mass Index (18.5 to 39 kg/m2)
- Able to communicate in and comprehend English and/or French language
- Present written / signed declaration of consent
Key exclusion criteria (19 listed)
- Current underweight condition (body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2) or weight loss exceeding 3 kg within the last month or 5 kg within the last three months.
- Current or history of eating disorder (e.g., anorexia, bulimia).
- Psychiatric condition that limits understanding of the examination protocol (unable to consent)
- Participation in another intervention study.
- Fasting during the last six months
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| prolonged fastingParticipants will be fasting for 7 days | Other | Fasting arm |
Primary outcome
Feasibility and Acceptability
Time frame: From baseline (day 0) to end of follow up day 30
Retention rates will be used to measure feasibility and response to Likert-like questions for measuring acceptability
1 secondary outcome
Mean changes from baseline to one month post-fasting on the SF 36 physical component score questionnaire
Time frame: From baseline (day 0) to the end of follow up at day 30
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Feb 2026.
- Long COVID science, research and policyLink provided by the sponsor.
- Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendationsLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Except for the study protocol that we are willing to share, personal and confidential will not be shared
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing prolonged fasting in people with Long COVID Syndrome, run by Université de Sherbrooke at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 19 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility and Acceptability (time frame: From baseline (day 0) to end of follow up day 30). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Feb 2026.