COVID-19 has biological links with chronic fatigue

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-08-17 05:00

International

Unusual biological profiles are shared by short-term COVID-19 and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), find experts who reviewed research on both. Shared abnormalities include: an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, inflammation, impaired production of ATP (an important molecule for energy), and a low metabolic rate. The authors say these irregularities may also be seen in long COVID, as it is similar to ME/CFS. They suggest the total number of Americans with ME/CFS - 2.5 million people - may be matched by long COVID cases in just the next 1-2 years.

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From: PNAS

A Perspective suggests that acute COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) share biological abnormalities, including redox imbalance, systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation, and a hypometabolic state; the results suggest that understanding the molecular causes of ME/CFS, acute COVID-19, and possibly long COVID, sometimes characterized by similar symptoms, may lead to treatments for these conditions, according to the authors.

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conference: PNAS

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Harvard Medical School

Funder: This work was supported by Solve ME/CFS Initiative Grant 90089823 (to B.D.P.); the American Heart Association/Paul Allen Frontiers Group Project 19PABH134580006 (to B.D.P., S.H.S., and associates); US Public Health Service Grant 5U54AI138370 (to A.L.K.); and US Public Health Service Grant DA044123 (to S.H.S.). The authors declare no competing interest.

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