What I've Learned About Long COVID: A Gut-First Framework — 8. Dysbiosis Becomes Locked In

Once your gut is damaged and your colonocytes are metabolically compromised, the ecological conditions favor pathobionts (potential pathogens) over beneficial taxa. Lipopolysaccharide-producing bacteria bloom. Butyrate-producing bacteria decline. But here&#8217;s the vicious cycle: these dysbiotic bacteria produce more LPS, triggering more inflammation, further damaging the epithelium. Your microbiota ecology has shifted into a stable, dysfunctional state.