{"id":29553,"date":"2021-01-26T08:28:13","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T08:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wames.org.uk\/cms-english\/?p=29553"},"modified":"2021-01-26T08:37:28","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T08:37:28","slug":"large-long-covid-study-major-media-articles-underscore-link-to-me-cfs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wames.org.uk\/cms-english\/large-long-covid-study-major-media-articles-underscore-link-to-me-cfs\/","title":{"rendered":"Large Long COVID study & major media articles underscore link to ME\/CFS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Large Long COVID study and major media articles underscore link to ME\/CFS \u2013 plus countdown for the NIH,<\/a> by Cort Johnson in<\/span> Health Rising<\/em>, 22 Jan 2021<\/h3>\n

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Article excerpt:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

ME\/CFS scores as a large study cements the link between it and long COVID just after over a billion dollars is slated to go for long COVID research<\/p>\n

\u201cThe findings show that\u2014even in those people who don\u2019t require hospitalization for severe COVID-19\u2014the condition\u2019s prolonged symptoms are having a major impact on lives and livelihoods, both here and around the world. While the number of people affected isn\u2019t yet known, if even a small proportion of the vast numbers of people infected with COVID-19 develop Long COVID syndrome, it represents a significant public health concern.\u201d\u00a0Francis Collins Director of the NIH<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The latest Body Politic study indicates that long COVID looks much like ME\/CFS.
\nA important long COVID study, \u201cCharacterizing Long COVID in an International Cohort: 7 Months of Symptoms and Their Impact<\/a>\u201c, was recently released which left no doubt that long COVID patients are closely tracking with people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME\/CFS) symptom-wise. For once, the ME\/CFS community was the beneficiary of superb timing: the study arrived not long after Congress had appropriated over a billion dollars to study long COVID.<\/p>\n

The preprint (meaning it has not been peer-reviewed) study from Body Politic researchers and patients assessed a wide variety of symptoms only to have the top three symptoms associated with ME\/CFS pop out. Just as in ME\/CFS,\u00a0fatigue<\/strong>\u00a0(77.7%),\u00a0post-exertional malaise (PEM)\u00a0<\/strong>(72.2%) and\u00a0cognitive dysfunction<\/strong>\u00a0(55.4%) were the most common symptoms found in those still sick after six months. The researchers didn\u2019t target these symptoms. Out of the 205 symptoms they asked about, these rose \u2013 like the cream in milk \u2013 to the top all by themselves. The symptoms slowly increased over time and tended to plateau about 2 months in.\"\"<\/p>\n

The large study size \u2013 almost 4,000 respondents took part in the web-based study \u2013 added to the study\u2019s cachet. While future studies will undoubtedly utilize long COVID patients diagnosed by doctors, this was a great start.<\/p>\n

Post-exertional malaise rose to the fore. The fact that over 85% of long COVID patients reported experiencing a relapse mostly due to engaging in too much exercise, physical or mental activity, or stress, placed many of them firmly in the ME\/CFS camp. (Note that the term post-exertional malaise (PEM) \u2013 which quickly found its way into the long COVID camp \u2013 was birthed in the ME\/CFS community.)<\/p>\n

Sixty-five percent reported still being ill six months after being infected. Only 27 percent had returned to their normal work schedules, 46% were working part-time and 23% were not working at all. The 23% unable to work bore some resemblance to the 25% of ME\/CFS patients reported to be severely ill.<\/p>\n

The most likely symptoms to persist after six months demonstrated that \u2013 as with ME\/CFS \u2013 a body-wide illness had emerged which provided few avenues for relief:<\/p>\n

The most likely symptoms to persist after 6 months: fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction (\u201cbrain fog\u201d), neurologic sensations (neuralgias, weakness, coldness, electric shock sensations, facial paralysis\/pressure\/numbness), headaches, memory issues, insomnia, muscle aches, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness\/balance issues, and speech and language issues.<\/p>\n

The Gist<\/strong><\/p>\n