J Gen Intern Med

Increased risk of ME/CFS identified in post-COVID-19 patients

January 17, 2025

Study details: The Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) cohort study aimed to determine the incidence and prevalence of post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Participants were grouped into three categories: (1) acute infected, enrolled within 30 days of infection or initially uninfected but later infected (n = 4,515); (2) post-acute infected, enrolled >30 days after infection (n = 7,270); and (3) uninfected (n = 1,439).

Results: The incidence rate of ME/CFS in infected participants was 2.66 per 100 person-years, significantly higher than the 0.93 per 100 person-years in uninfected controls (hazard ratio, 4.93). Post-COVID-19 ME/CFS prevalence was 4.5% in infected participants vs. 0.6% in controls. Post-exertional malaise was the most common symptom, affecting 24% of infected participants. Additionally, 88.7% of those with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS met criteria for long COVID.

Clinical impact: The findings underscore the importance of monitoring for ME/CFS in patients recovering from COVID-19. Early identification and management of ME/CFS symptoms can potentially mitigate long-term health impacts, emphasizing the need for heightened clinical awareness and patient education regarding post-COVID-19 sequelae.

Source:

Vernon SD, et al; NIH Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Consortium. (2025, January 13). J Gen Intern Med. Incidence and Prevalence of Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Report from the Observational RECOVER-Adult Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39804551/