There has been a worrisome increase in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known myalgic encephalomyelitis. A recent study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that COVID-19 may be linked to an increase in such cases.
According to the study, 4.5 percent of people recovering from Covid-19 met the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, compared to just 0.6 percent of those who had never been infected with the virus.
These findings are part of NIH’s RECOVER initiative, which have been conducted to understand and address long Covid. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine recently.
According to the researchers, Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition that is often triggered by infections. The condition is often characterised by chronic fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive impairment, and a lack of restful sleep.
The study included adults diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and uninfected individuals as controls. The researchers collected data using self-reported symptoms and comorbidities recorded during study visits every three months.
“The results indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infections significantly increased the risk of developing ME/CFS. Among the infected participants, 4.5% had symptoms that matched the ME/CFS diagnostic criteria six months post-infection, significantly higher than the 0.6% observed in the uninfected controls, the study stated.
The study reported a fourfold increase in the risk of developing ME/CFS in individuals who had COVID-19 infections compared to uninfected individuals. The findings also emphasised the importance of recognizing ME/CFS as a significant post-COVID sequela and implementing targeted healthcare interventions, as reported by News Medical Lifescience.