Diagnosing ME/CFS in People with Long COVID
The US ME/CFS Clinician Coalition have produced a Consensus Statement about Long COVID.
Since 2020, we’ve been seeing people with Long COVID whose symptoms overlap with ME/CFS. We recommend you consider ME/CFS in the differential diagnosis of Long COVID, particularly when post-exertional malaise (PEM) is present.
It is our clinical impression that early diagnosis and management of PEM and ME/CFS in these patients may be important in their disease trajectory. For more information, read the ME/CFS Clinician Coalition Letter.
Excerpt:
By proposing that ME/CFS be diagnosed by 6 months of illness in relation to symptom onset since acute COVID-19 infection, we aim to do the following:
- Improve historically low diagnostic rates and prevalence estimates of ME/CFS
- Initiate earlier therapy in those with ME/CFS following COVID
- More accurately assess the initial ME/CFS state (<3 years), thereby improving opportunities for early intervention and recovery prospects
Early recognition of ME/CFS and its common comorbidities can expedite the use of helpful therapies in Long COVID (14,15). For example, patients with ME/CFS following COVID report improvement when pacing – a form of activity management based on symptom-contingent energy allocation to reduce flares – is implemented.
Even if full ME/CFS criteria are not met, we still recommend that any Long COVID patient with classic signs of post-exertional malaise (post exertional symptom exacerbation) engage in paced activity to reduce exercise-induced progression.
About the ME/CFS Clinician coalition
The Coalition is committed to improving clinical care for patients with ME/CFS by advancing best clinical practices, providing education for the medical community, expanding the pool of medical providers with strong expertise in ME/CFS, and providing clinical insights for researchers. Find out more
