Covid-19 appears to be associated with a substantial increase in the number of cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
According to I, scientists calculated that the incidence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is now 15 times greater to pre-pandemic levels and found that people with a history of Covid have almost eight times more likely to develop chronic disease.
“This research underscores the urgency for healthcare providers to recognize post-Covid-19 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” he said. Suzanne D. Vernondirector of research at the Bateman Horne Center.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a complex chronic illness that can sometimes be associated with a previous infection. Even if the initial infection was mild and the person has fully recovered, a series of debilitating symptoms later.
If this sounds familiar in the context of Covid-19, it’s because there are many parallels between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and long Covid.
While some long Covid patients may have organ damage caused by the virus itselfor be dealing with the long-term effects of hospitalization, there are still others who have recovered from a mild bout of Covid only to develop symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and dizziness.
But while Covid-19 is a relatively new problemChronic Fatigue Syndrome and the concept of post-viral diseases have been known for some time. However, many patients report difficulties in accessing diagnosis and healthcare and face stigma, misunderstandings and contradictory advice, as evidenced in testimonials such as this patient report in Work magazine.
According to a new study in Journal of General Internal Medicineusing data from a long-running Covid research initiative run by the US National Institutes of Health, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a biological disease that affects multiple body systems. There are different degrees of severity and the disease can have a significant impact on day-to-day activities.
A fundamental characteristic for many patients is the post-exercise malaisein which symptoms, such as fatigue, worsen after physical activity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that about a quarter of people with the disease are confined to bed at some point during their illness.
The researchers wanted to analyze the potential relation between Covid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
They turned to data from , an NIH-funded project that was created to be “the world’s most comprehensive and diverse study” of long Covid. This analysis included 11 785 participants cwith a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1439 who had not been infected.
The team assessed how many of the participants met the diagnostic criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at least six months after contracting .
It is worth noting that these criteria are based on self-assessment of symptoms, which was highlighted as a limitation of the study.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been found to occur in 4.5% of infected participants compared to just 0.6% of non-infected participants. Nearly 90% of people who met criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome had also been identified as being among the most symptomatic Covid-19 patients, highlighting the crossover between the two illnesses.
“These findings provide additional evidence that infections, including those caused by SARS-CoV-2, can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” writes the .
The symptoms most frequently reported by the group were post-exercise malaisea orthostatic intolerance (dizziness when standing up) and cognitive disabilities. These are also symptoms reported by many long Covid patients, and the authors say there is an urgent need for more research to understand why Covid may lead to chronic illness in some, and who may be predisposed.
“This research underscores the urgency for healthcare providers to recognize post-Covid-19 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Early diagnosis and appropriate management can transform lives” said Vernon.
Teresa Oliveira Campos, ZAP //
