Review Differential Characteristics and Comparison Between Long-COVID Syndrome and [ME/CFS], 2025, Ivanovska et al

[forestglip]

Differential Characteristics and Comparison Between Long-COVID Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Spoiler: Authors

Ivanovska, Mariya; Homadi, Maysam Salim; Angelova, Gergana; Taskov, Hristo; Murdjeva, Marianna

Abstract
Long-COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are disabling diseases characterised by ongoing fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive impairment, and autonomic dysfunction. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome typically follows viral infections, whereas Long-COVID exclusively follows SARS-CoV-2 infection, with overlapping but distinct features.

This review uses comprehensive searches of online databases to compare their clinical presentations, pathophysiologies, and treatments. Both Long-COVID and ME/CFS appear to involve multifactorial mechanisms, including viral persistence, immune dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction, and autoimmunity, though their relative contributions remain uncertain.

Symptom management strategies are consistent, however. Cognitive behaviour therapy has been successful, and there are minimal drug treatments. Graded exercise therapy occupies a contested place, recommending individualised pacing and multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

Common and exclusive mechanisms must be identified to formulate valuable therapies. A more significant body of research focusing on immune dysfunction as a pathogenic mechanism for advancing the disease and enabling more effective therapies and diagnostics is needed.

Web | DOI | Biomedicines | Open Access

 

[Trish]

Symptom management strategies are consistent, however. Cognitive behaviour therapy has been successful, and there are minimal drug treatments. Graded exercise therapy occupies a contested place, recommending individualised pacing and multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

They may be consistent, but they are consistently wrong. This reflects just how entrenched this failed approach is. I wonder whether it is because it enables doctors to get rid of patients by referring them to therapists. All about transferring responsibility, not about being a good doctor.

 

[Utsikt]

To better understand the pathogenesis and affected systems in both diseases, the role of genes has been investigated. The information gathered could be valuable for gaining a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms and could serve as a basis for the development of potential therapeutic agents [11].
Nine shared genes were found between Long-COVID and ME/CFS [11]. These could be associated with leukocyte aggregation on the platelets. These genes include CXCL8, B2M, SOD1, BCL2, EGF, SERPINE1, S100A8, S100A9, and HMGB1, as shown in Figure 1[11].

11 is this, and I can’t find any mention of the genes in that paper.

https://www.s4me.info/threads/cardiovascular-and-haematological-pathology-in-myalgic-encephalomyelitis-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-me-cfs-a-role-for-viruses-2023-nunes-pretorius.32489/

 

[ME/CFS Science Blog]

Some weird sentences:

Graded exercise therapy occupies a contested place, recommending individualised pacing and multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) has been a subject of scientific interest for a very long time, as it is a complex illness

ME/CFS is commonly in patients who have suffered from a viral infection

...suppression of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis suppression

 

[Utsikt]

Some weird sentences:

It’s looking more and more like an LLM has been involved.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Graded exercise therapy is mentioned in the abstract but not in the body of the paper. The only instance of "exercise" is —

The factors that worsen the core symptoms, including post-exertional malaise, non-restorative sleep, cognitive impairment, and orthostatic intolerance, include physical exercise, prolonged upright position, and cognitive and emotional stressors.

 

[Utsikt]

@dave30th maybe the editor needs a letter? A lot of stuff isn’t adding up here.

 

[Utsikt]

The lead author, Mariya Ivanovska, was a co-author of this article a few years back:

Maintaining scientific integrity and high research standards against the backdrop of rising artificial intelligence use across fields - Morrison - Journal of Medical Artificial Intelligence

 

[dave30th]

maybe I'm biased, but I tend not to take MDPI journals that seriously. Even though I realize they publish some good papers by smart people. But whenever I see one of their papers, I instinctively recoil. ADDED: Am I wrong??

 

[DMissa]

maybe I'm biased, but I tend not to take MDPI journals that seriously. Even though I realize they publish some good papers by smart people. But whenever I see one of their papers, I instinctively recoil. ADDED: Am I wrong??

All of my student-era papers are in them. Supervisor at the time believes there is nothing wrong with it. My experience was that the peer review processes were "easy". I no longer submit to them. Papers should still be judged on content and not preconceptions, but yes, if there was suspicion that the peer review / editor input was too loose it would line up with my experience.

 

[Sean]

All about transferring responsibility, not about being a good doctor.

Transferring responsibility onto the patient for the profession's failure.

Which pretty much sums up the entire psycho-behavioural project thus far, with no sign of it becoming anything else anytime soon.