Reuken, P A, Besteher, B, Finke, K et al. · European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2024 · DOI
This study followed over 1,000 people who had long-lasting symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Researchers found that about 31% of patients met the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS at their first visit, but this dropped to 19% at a second visit months later. While patients reported feeling less fatigued and having fewer concentration problems over time, many continued to experience long-lasting symptoms that significantly affected their daily lives.
This study provides important real-world data showing that ME/CFS affects a substantial minority of COVID-19 survivors and that symptoms often persist long-term. Understanding the natural history and prevalence of post-COVID ME/CFS helps validate the condition as a significant clinical problem and may inform development of targeted interventions for this patient population.
This study does not establish causation or mechanisms linking COVID-19 to ME/CFS, nor does it evaluate the effectiveness of any specific treatments. The decline in self-reported symptoms does not necessarily mean patients have recovered functionally, and the discrepancy between self-report and structured screening suggests the true clinical picture may be more complex than perceived by patients alone.
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
Reuken, P A, Besteher, B, Finke, K, Fischer, A, Holl, A, Katzer, K, et al. (2024). Longterm course of neuropsychological symptoms and ME/CFS after SARS-CoV-2-infection: a prospective registry study.. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-023-01661-3
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-reuken-2024-longterm-course,
author = {Reuken, P A and Besteher, B and Finke, K and Fischer, A and Holl, A and Katzer, K and Lehmann-Pohl, K and Lemhöfer, C and Nowka, M and Puta, C and Walter, M and Weißenborn, C and Stallmach, A},
title = {Longterm course of neuropsychological symptoms and ME/CFS after SARS-CoV-2-infection: a prospective registry study.},
journal = {European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1007/s00406-023-01661-3},
note = {PubMed: 37587244},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/reuken-2024-longterm-course},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/reuken-2024-longterm-course
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