A new study from Kaiser Permanente suggests a potential link between COVID-19 and the development of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The research, published in PLOS ONE, found that 14% of individuals exhibiting ME/CFS-like symptoms in 2022 developed the condition after contracting COVID-19. This finding underscores the potential long-term health consequences of COVID-19 and warrants further investigation into the relationship between viral infections and chronic fatigue.
Study Details and Findings
The study surveyed 9,825 Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) patients to identify individuals with symptoms consistent with ME/CFS. Researchers estimated that 1.67% (45,892 individuals) of the 2.7 million adult KPNC members had ME/CFS-like syndrome between July and October 2022. Of those, 14.1% developed the illness following a COVID-19 infection.
"Our results offer a snapshot in time, and find that in 2022, 14% of people who had ME/CFS-like illness developed it after COVID," said senior author Dr. Jacek Skarbinski, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. "We can’t yet say whether COVID added to the overall incidence of ME/CFS. We expect to know more about the interplay of these conditions in the next stages of our study."
Risk Factors and Symptom Presentation
The study also identified factors associated with post-COVID ME/CFS-like syndrome. Patients who developed the condition after COVID-19 were more likely to be unvaccinated against COVID-19 and to have been infected before June 2021. Furthermore, all patients with ME/CFS-like illness experienced significant impairment in physical, mental, emotional, social, and occupational functioning compared to those without the illness.
Interestingly, those whose symptoms began after COVID-19 reported better physical functioning but greater anxiety and less energy compared to those with ME/CFS-like illness not associated with COVID-19.
Implications and Future Research
These findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting a connection between COVID-19 and chronic fatigue-like illnesses, including Long COVID. The researchers plan to continue surveying patients to gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between these conditions. This ongoing research may shed light on the underlying mechanisms driving the development of ME/CFS following viral infections and inform strategies for prevention and treatment.
