Long-COVID and (ME/CFS): Potential neurophysiological biomarkers for these enigmatic entities 2023 Versace and Tankisi

Letter to editor.

"Since early in the pandemic, fatigue has been recognized as one of the most common persistent complaints in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, and constitutes one main symptom of the so-called long-COVID syndrome. The term fatigue refers to a sustained feeling of tiredness, which can be present at rest; it is not directly related to physical activity, but can be exacerbated disproportionally by exertion.

Survivors of other recent coronavirus outbreaks, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 also developed chronic fatigue. These 'post-infectious' fatigue syndromes, including long-COVID, resemble myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a chronic disorder of unknown physiopathology characterized by fatigue, post-exertional malaise, chronic muscle or skeletal pain, and cognitive impairment (‘brain fog’)."

Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138824572300007X