ME/CFS & Long COVID patients have similar symptoms & quality of life
This Australian study compared 61 patients with ME/CFS with 31 patients with Long Covid (aka Post COVID-19 condition- PCC) and found few differences in symptoms between the two groups.
They say: “this publication documents the profound and widespread illness burden experienced by pwME/CFS and pwPCC in Australia, thereby necessitating health policy reforms that facilitate improved accessibility of necessary care and support services for Australians living with these illnesses.
The present study observed marginal differences in illness presentation between pwPCC and pwME/CFS, with notable similarities between the two cohorts in key symptoms typically experienced by pwME/CFS, such as post-exertional malaise, neurocognitive dysfunction and sleep disturbances.”
Other past studies also found all pwPCC experienced post-exertional malaise though 2 had found a lower prevalence of post-exertional malaise 82.8% and 78% “Post-exertional malaise is a noteworthy component of the PCC illness presentation and should be considered in diagnostic criteria and care provision.”
“Among the cardinal ME/CFS symptoms, only memory loss was significantly more prevalent and unrefreshed sleep significantly more frequent among pwME/CFS than pwPCC in the present study.”
The few remaining significant differences in symptom presentation between the cohorts included a higher prevalence of muscle weakness, lymphadenopathy and nausea, greater severity of light-headedness, and reduced frequency of heart palpitations among pwME/CFS. However, the existing literature is incongruous regarding the presentation of such symptoms among pwME/CFS and pwPCC .
Additionally, comparisons of illness presentation have largely focused on symptom prevalence and few investigations have compared symptom frequency and severity among these two illness cohorts.”
Hence, fulfilment of ME/CFS criteria following acute COVID-19 illness may be an indicator of illness trajectory and a means of identifying pwPCC at risk of long-term illness.
“The findings of the present study underscore the risk of developing permanent chronic illness and disability following acute COVID-19 illness and foreground the potential role of ME/CFS in the illness progression and diagnosis of PCC.
This also has important ramifications for estimating the future healthcare burdens of post-COVID-19 sequelae (as over 90% of people with ME/CFS experience life-long illness and emphasises the importance of reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
“Findings exemplify the physically disabling nature of ME/CFS and PCC, which must be considered in the provision of care for people with these illnesses… Importantly, the impacts on daily activities observed in this study emphasise the need for integrated approaches across the healthcare, disability and social support sectors for pwME/CFS and pwPCC in Australia.”
Read the full paper:
Illness presentation and quality of life in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post COVID-19 condition: a pilot Australian cross-sectional study , by Breanna Weigel, Natalie Eaton-Fitch, Kiran Thapaliya, Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik in Qual Life Res. 2024 Jul 3 [doi: 10.1007/s11136-024-03710-3]
