Mazurkiewicz, Iwona, Chatys-Bogacka, Zaneta, Slowik, Joanna et al. · Brain and behavior · 2023 · DOI
This study looked at whether men and women experience post-COVID fatigue differently after a mild COVID-19 infection. Researchers asked 303 people (mostly women) about fatigue symptoms before COVID-19 and at different time points afterward. Women reported more persistent tiredness that didn't improve with rest, sleep problems, and sore throats compared to men, especially in the weeks right after infection.
Understanding sex-based differences in post-COVID fatigue is crucial for ME/CFS research, as many post-COVID cases meet ME/CFS criteria. This study provides evidence that women may be at higher risk for specific fatigue-related symptoms, which could inform clinical assessment, treatment approaches, and future investigations into biological mechanisms underlying sex-specific disease expression.
This study does not establish causation or biological mechanisms for sex differences in post-COVID fatigue. The retrospective design and reliance on recalled symptoms (assessed a median of 30 weeks later) introduce significant recall bias. Additionally, the high proportion of healthcare workers and female participants limits generalizability to the broader COVID-19 population.
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
Mazurkiewicz, Iwona, Chatys-Bogacka, Zaneta, Slowik, Joanna, Klich-Raczka, Alicja, Fedyk-Lukasik, Malgorzata, Slowik, Agnieszka, et al. (2023). Fatigue after COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients according to sex.. Brain and behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2849
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-mazurkiewicz-2023-fatigue-after,
author = {Mazurkiewicz, Iwona and Chatys-Bogacka, Zaneta and Slowik, Joanna and Klich-Raczka, Alicja and Fedyk-Lukasik, Malgorzata and Slowik, Agnieszka and Wnuk, Marcin and Drabik, Leszek},
title = {Fatigue after COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients according to sex.},
journal = {Brain and behavior},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1002/brb3.2849},
note = {PubMed: 36620918},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mazurkiewicz-2023-fatigue-after},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mazurkiewicz-2023-fatigue-after
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