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COVID-19 / SPECIALTY RESEARCH

ME/CFSIn perspective.

The key COVID-19 findings in me/cfs, distilled into a clear, readable brief. The evidence is here whenever you want to go deeper.

INSIDE THIS MONITOR
37cited sources
4available findings

Study findings updated

AI-assisted evidence summary. For general information. These findings are not individual medical advice or a clinician endorsement.

THE SHORT VERSION

What’s worth knowing.

The key findings, what they mean, and the context that matters.

THE HEADLINE TAKEAWAY50%

Meta-analysis reported 50% of Long COVID patients met ME/CFS criteria

The cited meta-analysis reported that 50% of Long COVID patients met ME/CFS diagnostic criteria.

The diagnostic criteria and assessment timing are unavailable in this summary. The accompanying ME/CFS incidence increase has no named reference group here, so its magnitude is not interpreted.

See the evidence

Of Long COVID patients meet ME/CFS diagnostic criteria

50%

Jason et al., Vernon et al.. Meta-analysis. 2023.

Study-specific findings. Different populations, treatments and follow-up periods can produce different results.

THE RESEARCH, AS IT ARRIVES

Latest studies.

The newest findings added to this collection.
The learning from each, already distilled.

Study summaries are not available in this collection yet. The original evidence remains accessible in each monitor.

Dates show when findings were added here, not when papers were published. Study populations and comparisons differ.

WHEN YOU WANT TO GO DEEPER
See all 4 findingsOriginal results, comparisons and study details.
3 of 3 source groupsFindings stay together with their study.
SOURCE 012 findings

NIH RECOVER Initiative. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC): Findings from the RECOVER-Adult cohort. JAMA. 2024;331(5):419-431.

Original source link unavailableView citation [1]

Post-COVID ME/CFS

4.5%95% CI: 3.8-5.2%Source [1]

Brain Fog

72%RECOVER cohort dataSource [1]
SOURCE 021 finding

Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2023;21:133-146.

Post-Exertional Malaise

79%95% CI: 74-85%Source [2]
SOURCE 031 finding

Raj SR, Arnold AC, Barboi A, et al. Long-COVID postural tachycardia syndrome: an American Autonomic Society statement. Clinical Autonomic Research. 2021;31:365-368.

POTS Prevalence

40%95% CI: 32-48%Source [3]
Browse the 37 original sourcesThe complete bibliography behind this monitor.
  1. [1]

    NIH RECOVER Initiative. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC): Findings from the RECOVER-Adult cohort. JAMA. 2024;331(5):419-431.

    Original source link unavailable
  2. [2]

    Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2023;21:133-146.

    Open original source in a new tab
  3. [3]

    Raj SR, Arnold AC, Barboi A, et al. Long-COVID postural tachycardia syndrome: an American Autonomic Society statement. Clinical Autonomic Research. 2021;31:365-368.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Bowe B, Xie Y, Al-Aly Z. Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. Nature Medicine. 2022;28(11):2398-2405.

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    NICE. Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline [NG206]. 2021.

    Original source link unavailable
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    Komaroff AL, Lipkin WI. Insights from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may help unravel the pathogenesis of postacute COVID-19 syndrome. Trends in Molecular Medicine. 2021;27(9):895-906.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Jason LA, Islam MF, Conroy K, et al. COVID-19 symptoms over time: Comparing long-haulers to ME/CFS. Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior. 2023;11(2):104-118.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Vernon SD, Hartle M, Sullivan K, et al. Post-exertional malaise among people with long COVID compared to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Work. 2023;74(4):1179-1186.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Kedor C, Freitag H, Meyer-Arndt L, et al. A prospective observational study of post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome following the first pandemic wave in Germany. Nature Communications. 2022;13:5104.

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    Naviaux RK, Naviaux JC, Li K, et al. Metabolic features of chronic fatigue syndrome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2016;113(37):E5472-E5480.

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    Tomas C, Brown A, Strassheim V, et al. Cellular bioenergetics is impaired in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. PLoS One. 2017;12(10):e0186802.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Fedorowski A, Sutton R. Autonomic dysfunction and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Nature Reviews Cardiology. 2023;20:281-282.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Nakatomi Y, Mizuno K, Ishii A, et al. Neuroinflammation in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: An 11C-(R)-PK11195 PET Study. Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 2014;55(6):945-950.

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    Douaud G, Lee S, Alfaro-Almagro F, et al. SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank. Nature. 2022;604:697-707.

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    Mandarano AH, Maya J, Giloteaux L, et al. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients exhibit altered T cell metabolism and cytokine associations. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2020;130(3):1491-1505.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Phetsouphanh C, Darley DR, Wilson DB, et al. Immunological dysfunction persists for 8 months following initial mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nature Immunology. 2022;23:210-216.

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    Moldofsky H, Patcai J. Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, depression and disordered sleep in chronic post-SARS syndrome; a case-controlled study. BMC Neurology. 2011;11:37.

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    Lam MH, Wing YK, Yu MW, et al. Mental morbidities and chronic fatigue in severe acute respiratory syndrome survivors: long-term follow-up. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009;169(22):2142-2147.

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    Hickie I, Davenport T, Wakefield D, et al. Post-infective and chronic fatigue syndromes precipitated by viral and non-viral pathogens: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2006;333(7568):575.

    Open original source in a new tab
  20. [20]

    Institute of Medicine. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness. National Academies Press. 2015.

    Original source link unavailable
  21. [21]

    Carruthers BM, van de Sande MI, De Meirleir KL, et al. Myalgic encephalomyelitis: International Consensus Criteria. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2011;270(4):327-338.

    Open original source in a new tab
  22. [22]

    Bateman L, Bested AC, Bonilla HF, et al. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials of Diagnosis and Management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(11):2861-2878.

    Open original source in a new tab
  23. [23]

    Al-Aly Z, Bowe B, Xie Y. Long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nature Medicine. 2022;28:1461-1467.

    Open original source in a new tab
  24. [24]

    Wong TL, Weitzer DJ. Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - A Systemic Review and Comparison of Clinical Presentation and Symptomatology. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(5):418.

    Open original source in a new tab
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    Klimas NG, Broderick G, Fletcher MA. Biomarkers for chronic fatigue. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2012;26(8):1202-1210.

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    Missailidis D, Annesley SJ, Fisher PR. Pathological Mechanisms Underlying Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Diagnostics. 2019;9(3):80.

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    Bynke A, Julin P, Gottfries CG, et al. Autoantibodies to beta-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) patients. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health. 2020;7:100107.

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    Sotzny F, Blanco J, Capelli E, et al. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Evidence for an autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity Reviews. 2018;17(6):601-609.

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    VanElzakker MB, Brumfield SA, Lara Mejia PS. Neuroinflammation and Cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Critical Review of Research Methods. Frontiers in Neurology. 2024;15:1379385.

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    Davenport TE, Stevens SR, VanNess JM, et al. Conceptual model for physical therapist management of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. Physical Therapy. 2019;99(4):459-476.

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    Hampshire A, Chatfield DA, MPhil AM, et al. Multivariate profile and acute-phase correlates of cognitive deficits in a COVID-19 hospitalised cohort. eClinicalMedicine. 2024;47:101417.

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    Chen C, Haupert SR, Zimmermann L, et al. Global Prevalence of Post COVID-19 Condition or Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2022;226(9):1593-1607.

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    Choutka J, Jansari V, Goel N, et al. Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. Nature Medicine. 2022;28:911-923.

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    Ballering AV, van Zon SKR, Olde Hartman TC, Rosmalen JGM. Persistence of somatic symptoms after COVID-19 in the Netherlands: an observational cohort study. The Lancet. 2022;400(10350):452-461.

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    Jason LA, Richman JA, Rademaker AW, et al. A community-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1999;159(18):2129-2137.

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    Lim EJ, Son CG. Review of case definitions for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Journal of Translational Medicine. 2020;18:289.

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    Yong SJ. Long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome: putative pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments. Infectious Diseases. 2021;53(10):737-754.

    Open original source in a new tab
ABOUT THIS MONITOR

Understanding includes the limits.

This is an AI-assisted evidence summary, not a clinician endorsement. Read each original paper for its complete methods, population and limitations. Different studies can ask different questions and report different kinds of results.

Dates marked “added” describe when a finding entered this monitor, not when the study was published or clinically reviewed. Personal health and treatment decisions belong in a conversation with a qualified clinician.

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