Jason, Leonard A, Dorri, Joseph A · Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2023 · DOI
This study followed Long COVID patients from their first two weeks of illness through about five months later to understand which early symptoms predict worse long-term outcomes. Researchers found that people who experienced problems with their autonomic nervous system (heart rate, blood pressure, temperature control) and stomach issues early on were more likely to have difficulty returning to work and family life. The same early symptoms were also linked to developing ME/CFS.
Identifying early symptom patterns that predict worse outcomes could help healthcare providers recognize high-risk Long COVID patients who need intensive early intervention. This research bridges Long COVID and ME/CFS, suggesting shared biological mechanisms and potentially informing treatment strategies for both conditions.
This study cannot prove that early autonomic or gastrointestinal dysfunction *causes* worse long-term outcomes—only that they are associated. The study was observational and exploratory; it does not establish causation or identify the biological mechanisms behind these relationships. Results may not apply to all Long COVID populations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Jason, Leonard A & Dorri, Joseph A (2023). Predictors of impaired functioning among long COVID patients.. Work (Reading, Mass.). https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-220428
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jason-2023-predictors-impaired,
author = {Jason, Leonard A and Dorri, Joseph A},
title = {Predictors of impaired functioning among long COVID patients.},
journal = {Work (Reading, Mass.)},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.3233/WOR-220428},
note = {PubMed: 36911958},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jason-2023-predictors-impaired},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jason-2023-predictors-impaired
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