ImmunologyPEM-relevant

Long COVID Overlap

46 studies in the atlas

Long COVID — also called post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) — shares substantial clinical overlap with ME/CFS, including post-exertional malaise, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and autonomic abnormalities such as orthostatic intolerance. A subset of Long COVID patients meet formal diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. Research explores shared mechanisms including immune-system abnormalities, viral persistence, microbiome disruption, and autonomic nervous system impairment. These mechanisms remain under investigation and are not fully settled. Understanding this overlap has strengthened the case for the broader category of post-infectious illness and brought new research attention to mechanisms that have been studied in ME/CFS for decades.

What we know

Studies suggest a significant proportion of Long COVID patients with persistent symptoms meet ME/CFS diagnostic criteria, though estimates vary widely depending on methodology and cohort
PEM has been reported in many Long COVID patients, particularly those with longer symptom duration
Overlapping patterns of immune-system abnormalities have been observed in comparative studies
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased research attention and funding for post-infectious conditions, including ME/CFS

What remains uncertain

Long COVID-triggered ME/CFS may share mechanisms with other post-infectious forms, but SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence could introduce distinct features
Autoimmune processes may differ between Long COVID and classic ME/CFS, though evidence is preliminary
Some Long COVID patients appear to recover over 1–2 years, while ME/CFS recovery is generally rarer — the reasons for this difference are not understood
Research advances in Long COVID may benefit the broader ME/CFS field, and vice versa

What is emerging

Whether treatments developed for Long COVID will prove effective for ME/CFS patients
How to distinguish early Long COVID from Long COVID that will develop into ME/CFS
The long-term prevalence of ME/CFS in post-COVID populations
Whether ME/CFS diagnostic criteria need adaptation for post-COVID presentations
Whether the overlapping features reflect shared pathophysiology or convergent symptoms from different causes

Start here

E0 ConsensusPEM unclearPreliminary

Blood virome research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: challenges and opportunities.

Obraitis, Dominic, Li, Dawei·Current opinion in virology·2024

This review examines whether viruses trigger myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Scientists have found that some ME/CFS cases may start after viral infections, and blood tests can detect viral genetic material in patients. The review highlights that while viruses are a suspected cause, no single virus has been found in all ME/CFS patients, and researchers need better tools to understand these complex viral patterns.

Long COVID Overlap

What we know

What remains uncertain

What is emerging

Blood virome research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: challenges and opportunities.

Research Momentum

Top Studies

Long COVID: lights and shadows on the clinical characterization of this emerging pathology.

Blood virome research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: challenges and opportunities.

ME/CFS and Long COVID share similar symptoms and biological abnormalities: road map to the literature

Diagnosis and Management of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Persistent SARS-CoV-2 Infection, EBV, HHV-6 and Other Factors May Contribute to Inflammation and Autoimmunity in Long COVID.

Fatigue in Adults: Evaluation and Management.

Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)-A Systemic Review and Comparison of Clinical Presentation and Symptomatology.

The neurological symptoms of COVID-19: a systematic overview of systematic reviews, comparison with other neurological conditions and implications for healthcare services.

Navigating the Spectrum of Two Pediatric COVID-19 Complications: Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Elevated risk of new-onset chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis up to four years after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Unmasking the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 With a Focus on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Community-Based Study From India.

Risk of chronic fatigue syndrome after COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study of 3227281 patients.

Long-Term Impairment of Working Ability in Subjects under 60 Years of Age Hospitalised for COVID-19 at 2 Years of Follow-Up: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Three-Month Symptom Profiles Among Symptomatic Adults With Positive and Negative Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Tests: A Prospective Cohort Study From the INSPIRE Group.

Fatigue presentation, severity, and related outcomes in a prospective cohort following post-COVID-19 hospitalization in British Columbia, Canada.

Predictors of Long COVID in Patients without Comorbidities: Data from the Polish Long-COVID Cardiovascular (PoLoCOV-CVD) Study.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: an emerging sequela in COVID-19 survivors?

Prevalence and correlates of chronic fatigue syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder after the outbreak of the COVID-19.

Comparable Immune Alterations and Inflammatory Signatures in ME/CFS and Long COVID.

Cognitive Impairments in Two Samples of Individuals with ME/CFS and Long COVID: A Comparative Analysis.

Sleep and circadian rhythm alterations in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID fatigue syndrome and its association with cardiovascular risk factors: A prospective cohort study.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome After SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Longterm course of neuropsychological symptoms and ME/CFS after SARS-CoV-2-infection: a prospective registry study.

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) in Pediatrics: Factors That Impact Symptom Severity and Referral to Treatment.

ME/CFS and Post-Exertional Malaise among Patients with Long COVID.

A Comprehensive Examination of Severely Ill ME/CFS Patients.

Shadow Burden of Undiagnosed Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) on Society: Retrospective and Prospective-In Light of COVID-19.

Considerations for Long COVID Rehabilitation in Women.

Developing a clinical-pathological framework of long COVID-related fatigue applied to public safety workers.

New Clinical Phenotype of the Post-Covid Syndrome: Fibromyalgia and Joint Hypermobility Condition.

Gulf War Illness: A Historical Review and Considerations of a Post-Viral Syndrome.

The lingering shadow of epidemics: post-acute sequelae across history.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Post-infective myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID as two puzzling faces of the same medal. Recent insights.

Long Covid in Year 5: Some Progress, Still Many Questions.

[Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome as a complication of COVID-19 post-acute syndrome in adults. Bibliographic Review].

Long COVID: a new disease?

Designing and optimizing clinical trials for long COVID.

Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations.

Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes.

COVID-19 and chronic fatigue syndrome: An endocrine perspective.

Insights from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may help unravel the pathogenesis of postacute COVID-19 syndrome.

Lowered oxygen saturation and increased body temperature in acute COVID-19 largely predict chronic fatigue syndrome and affective symptoms due to Long COVID: A precision nomothetic approach.

Fatigue in Post-Acute Sequelae of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Lessons Learned From a Coordinated Health System Response.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome post coronavirus disease 2019.