One in 20 coronavirus survivors may experience symptoms characterized by extreme fatigue

new result According to the National Institutes of Health's Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)-Adult Initiative, 4.5% of COVID-19 survivors have myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In contrast, it has been suggested that the rate is less than 1% for non-infected people.

ME/CFS can be caused by viral and non-viral infections and can cause severe fatigue for at least six months, with memory loss, brain fog, dizziness, and muscle or joint pain. Physical or mental activity worsens symptoms, which are not completely relieved by rest.

RECOVER-Adult is a longitudinal observational study conducted at 83 sites in 33 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC to study post-COVID-19 conditions such as ME/CFS and long-term coronavirus.

Participants who reported symptoms at the 3-month study visit were grouped as follows: (1) acutely infected, enrolled within 30 days of infection, or infected after enrollment (4,515 participants); (2) registered after acute infection, >30 days post-infection (7,270); (3) uninfected controls from October 2021 to September 2024 (1,439);

The most common symptom is post-exertional fatigue

The overall proportion of participants who developed ME/CFS after infection was 4.5%, compared with 0.6% among controls. The most common symptom in both acutely infected (15.9%) and post-acutely infected participants (29.1%) was postexertional fatigue, followed by positional dizziness (14.4% and 25.0%, respectively).

Participants with an acute infection reported similar rates of restless sleep (11.0%), “brain fog” (10.1%), and fatigue (9.3%), whereas participants after an acute infection reported the most frequent brain fog (23.7%), fatigue (20.7%), and unrefreshing sleep (19.8%). All ME/CFS symptoms were lower in controls than in infected participants. Most (88.7%) of post-COVID-19 ME/CFS patients had long-term COVID-19 infection.

Among infected participants, 39.8% had ME/CFS-like symptoms with at least one ME/CFS symptom, while 55.7% reported no symptoms. Among uninfected participants, 16.1% had at least one ME/CFS symptom and 83.3% were asymptomatic.

The incidence of ME/CFS among post-COVID-19 participants was 2.66 (95% confidence interval) [CI]2.63 to 2.70 per 100 person-years) compared with 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91 to 10.95) per 100 person-years in the matched control group (attributable risk, 1.74 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio 4.93).

Unvaccinated white women are most at risk

Compared to infected individuals who never met criteria for ME/CFS, post-COVID-19 ME/CFS patients were more likely to be white, female, 46 to 65 years old, and rural-dwelling. They were less likely to have been vaccinated upon admission and to have a college degree.

RECOVER provides an opportunity to identify objective biomarkers and study the biology, mechanisms, and natural history of ME/CFS post-COVID-19.

Only nine uninfected participants had ME/CFS, so the sample size was too small to compare with other uninfected groups.

Participants with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS had chronic pain syndrome or fibromyalgia, neuromuscular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia or brain fog, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and autonomic dysfunction. patients were more likely to report symptoms or autonomic dysfunction, movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, and use. Their oxygen intake at home is lower than their uninfected peers.

“ME/CFS is a diagnosable sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the study authors concluded. “RECOVER provides an opportunity to identify objective biomarkers and study the biology, mechanisms, and natural history of ME/CFS post-COVID-19.”