What I've Learned About Long COVID: A Gut-First Framework — 3. Butyrate Transporters Go Silent

Here&#8217;s a detail most doctors miss: COVID doesn&#8217;t just damage gut cells; it silences gene expression of critical nutrient transporters, particularly SLC5A8 (the butyrate transporter). Your colonocytes can&#8217;t access their primary fuel anymore. Even if your microbiota are producing short-chain fatty acids, the cells have no way to take them in. This is metabolic sabotage at the cellular level.