Dr Charles Shepherd, MEA Honorary Medical Adviser wrote to iNews about the overlaps between Long Covid and ME/CFS. This letter has been published in the newspaper (paper version) today. Please see the letter Dr Shepherd sent to the editor below.
MEA Letter
Dear Editor
Re: Everything we know about Long Covid so far
Tom Bawden’s review of Long Covid omitted one of the most important developments in our understanding of what causes some cases of Long Covid and how many of the key symptoms could be more effectively managed.
Ever since May 2020 the ME Association has been pointing out that debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise/symptom exacerbation, brain fog/cognitive dysfunction, and problems with heart rate and blood pressure regulation/dysautonomia are diagnostic features of many other post-viral syndromes, ME/CFS in particular (refs 1,2).
As a result, we have been helping an increasing number of people with Long Covid who have these symptoms or meet diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS (ref 3) and there are now discussions taking place about amalgamating specialist referral services for both conditions (RRF 4).
Had the research community and research funders recognised the various overlaps in relation to causation, especially the role of latent viral reactivation, immune system activation, mitochondrial, and neuroendocrine dysfunction, a far more collaborative and productive research strategy could have emerged.
Although these overlaps are now slowly being recognised many people with Long Covid remain unaware of self help and pharmaceutical management strategies that could significantly help with their fatigue, pain, sleep, etc.
Dr Charles Shepherd,
Trustee and Hon. Medical Adviser to the ME Association.
Member of the 2018-2021 NICE Guideline Committee.
Member of the 2002 Independent Working Group on ME/CFS.
References
- 1. Long Covid and ME/CFS – Are they the same condition? | May 2023
- 2. Research: Frontiers in Medicine: ME/CFS and Long COVID share similar symptoms and biological abnormalities: road map to the literature | Komaroff & Lipkin, June 2023
- 3. Research: Pub Med Central: ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID | Jason and Dorri, March 2022
- 4. Research: BMJ Journals: A quest to manage CYP with ME/CFS and long covid under one MDT service – evaluation of a regional centre for CYP ME/CFS and long covid services | Anbu and Begum, August 2024