Sorg, Anna-Lisa, Becht, Selina, Jank, Marietta et al. · JAMA network open · 2022 · DOI
This study looked at whether children and teenagers who had been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 were more likely to develop ME/CFS symptoms like severe fatigue and muscle pain. Researchers tested 634 young people in Germany and found that those who had been infected with COVID-19 showed only slightly higher rates of ME/CFS symptoms compared to those who hadn't been infected. The increase was small enough that other factors—like stress from lockdowns—might explain the symptoms just as well.
Understanding whether COVID-19 infection specifically causes ME/CFS in children is critical for differentiating post-viral ME/CFS from pandemic-related psychological or social effects. This study provides empirical data on a large pediatric cohort during early pandemic phases, helping clarify the true association between SARS-CoV-2 and ME/CFS development in youth—information essential for clinical assessment and public health guidance.
This study does not prove that COVID-19 cannot cause ME/CFS in children; the observed associations, while modest, remain statistically present in unadjusted analyses. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or temporal sequence. Recall bias in parental reporting and the possibility that unmeasured confounders (such as pandemic stress) explain the associations cannot be excluded. Results from mid-2021 Germany may not generalize to other populations or variants.
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
Sorg, Anna-Lisa, Becht, Selina, Jank, Marietta, Armann, Jakob, von Both, Ulrich, Hufnagel, Markus, et al. (2022). Association of SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Among Children and Adolescents in Germany.. JAMA network open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33454
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-sorg-2022-association-sars,
author = {Sorg, Anna-Lisa and Becht, Selina and Jank, Marietta and Armann, Jakob and von Both, Ulrich and Hufnagel, Markus and Lander, Fabian and Liese, Johannes G and Niehues, Tim and Verjans, Eva and Wetzke, Martin and Stojanov, Silvia and Behrends, Uta and Drosten, Christian and Schroten, Horst and von Kries, Rüdiger},
title = {Association of SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Among Children and Adolescents in Germany.},
journal = {JAMA network open},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33454},
note = {PubMed: 36166227},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sorg-2022-association-sars},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/sorg-2022-association-sars
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