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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07418567

A Fasting Pilot Study for Long COVID

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;

1. Does in-home prolonged fasting (7 days) is feasible and acceptable for patients with LC 2. Is there a clinical benefit associated with fasting is LC patients

Participants (adults 18 year and older) will be asked to

1. Fast for 7 days 2. Have in-person visit at baseline (day 0) and at day 9 for checkups and tests 3. Answer difference questionnnaires about their perceived health during and after fasting

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Key information

Conditions

Long COVID Syndrome Behavior COVID-19 Chronic Disease Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Disease Attributes Fasting Feeding Behavior Infections Lung Diseases Nidovirales Infections Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Post-Infectious Disorders RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Centre de recherche du CIUSSSE-CHUS

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 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

Exclusion criteria

  • 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.
  • 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

Treatment and study plan

prolonged fasting

Other

Participants will be fasting for 7 days

Primary outcomes

  1. 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

Secondary outcomes

  1. 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

    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.

Other outcomes

  1. Fatigue severity score (FSS)

    Time frame: From baseline (day 0) to end of follow up at day 30

    The Fatigue severity scale (FSS) (0-7 score, 7 being worse) is one of the tool to assess the severity of fatigue. It is validated for LC patients

  2. Cognitive failure questinonaire

    Time frame: From baseline (day 0) to end of follow up (day 30)

    Assess cognitive impairment (25 questions, 0-100 score).Higher scores indicat increased propensity to cognitive impairment and it is validated for LC

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Université de Sherbrooke

Other

Collaborators

  • Centre de recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke

Registry information

Official study title

A Prospective Pilot Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Prolonged Fasting for the Treatment of Long COVID Patients

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Feb 18, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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