Review [ME/CFS] as a complication of COVID-19 post-acute syndrome in adults. Bibliographic Review 2023 Carrillo Uguña and Orellana Romero

Abstract

According to the latest report from the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, CO-VID-19 currently presents a morbidity of 29.6 % and constituted 43.6 % of deaths worldwide. Although mortality rates have decreased considerably, many cases of patients with post-COVID sequelae have been reported around the world; in fact, more than 87 % of patients continue to experience at least one symptom two months after the onset of infec-tion.

The objective of the present review is to describe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome as a Com-plication of the post-acute syndrome of COVID-19 in Adults. Cases of survivors of COVID-19 have been reported who report the presence of sequelae, persisting for several months after being discharged. Data from post-acute COVID-19 patient reports and early observational studies suggest a syndrome similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, a chronic, multisystem disease that has been associated with other infections. Within the general population, the prevalence of chronic fatigue ranges between 10 and 40 %, while the ME/CFS association constitutes 0.17-0.89 % and is more common in females.

Open access, https://revistavertex.com.ar/ojs/index.php/vertex/article/view/507

 

These authors are well-informed on ME/CFS. My translations are rough around the edges but give a good feel for the authors' views. I included the first few words from the original-language text to facilitate looking it up.
They're well aware ME/CFS is often poorly understood:

PEM is the main symptom:

There is discussion on the history of post-infectious syndromes, including the Spanish Flu and SARS, and the idea that ME/CFS may start when a virus triggers an abberant immune response.

Then they give a brief introduction to long Covid, including a literal translation of the term COVID long-haulers as "long-distance drivers", which sounds odd in Spanish.

They see a clear connection between ME/CFS and LC:

Hilariously, the ME/CSF typo has found its way into Spanish. (This paper borrows ME/CFS from English, and the authentically Spanish acronym is EM/SFC):