In this open-access review from Lipids in Health and Disease, Undurti N. Das proposes that susceptibility to COVID-19 and the lingering symptoms of long-haul syndrome may be tied to a deficiency of essential fatty acids and dysregulation of their metabolism. The hypothesis rests on the roles EFAs and their metabolites play in the immune response to enveloped viruses — from the initial inflammatory reaction through its resolution and the repair that follows.
The review traces the biochemistry connecting membrane lipids to inflammation, cytokine regulation, and tissue recovery, and considers why restoring EFA metabolism might ameliorate post-viral manifestations. For clinicians studying lipid-based approaches to cellular health, it is a useful map of the mechanisms tying membrane composition to immune function.