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[Preprint]. 2024 Nov 8:2024.11.08.24316976. [Version 1] doi: 10.1101/2024.11.08.24316976

Post-SARS-CoV-2 Onset Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms in Two Cohort Studies of COVID-19 Recovery

Armaan Jamal, Thomas Dalhuisen, Nuria Gallego Márquez, Alisha D Dziarski, Julian Uy, Samantha N Walch, Sean A Thomas, Emily A Fehrman, Arianna E Romero, Ashley S Zelaya, Enam A Akasreku, Tamilore V Adeagbo, Elizabeth C Pasetes, Selin Y Akbas, Alba M Azola, Steven G Deeks, J Daniel Kelly, Jeffrey N Martin, Timothy J Henrich, Alan L Landay, Michael J Peluso, Annukka A R Antar
PMCID: PMC11759845  PMID: 39867374

Abstract

Objective

To determine how many people with long COVID also meet diagnostic criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Methods

We identified which participants with long COVID also met the Institute of Medicine (IOM) or the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC) for ME/CFS at approximately 6-8 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection in two cohorts: (1) the JHU COVID Recovery cohort, which enrolled participants within 4 weeks of infection and (2) the Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC) cohort, which enriched for participants with long COVID. Neither study administered ME/CFS-specific surveys, so available data elements were mapped onto each ME/CFS diagnostic criteria.

Results

Of 97 JHU participants with long COVID, 5 met IOM criteria and 2 met CCC criteria. Of 281 LIINC participants with long COVID, 51 met the IOM criteria and 29 met the CCC criteria. In LIINC, participants with long COVID meeting ME/CFS criteria were more likely to be female and report a greater number of post-COVID symptoms (p<0.001).

Conclusions

The co-occurrence of ME/CFS symptoms and long COVID suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is a cause of ME/CFS. ME/CFS-specific measures should be incorporated into studies of post-acute COVID-19 to advance studies of post-SARS-CoV-2 onset ME/CFS.

Full Text Availability

The license terms selected by the author(s) for this preprint version do not permit archiving in PMC. The full text is available from the preprint server.


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