News from Aotearoa/New Zealand and the Pacific Islands

Apparently there will be an interview on Radio NZ's Our Changing World, this Thursday with Prof Warren Tate from Otago and some of those with ME/CFS in the Southland Support Group.
Changing World is on at 9:35 PM on Thursday evening 17 June
A shorter version will be available on Wednesday at 3:35 PM. (I am not sure if that is today or next week).

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld

 

Another longer item (31 minutes) from Clare Concannon, Radio NZ, Our Changing World, about ME/CFS and Prof Tate's research & team.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/prog...018799656/when-disease-research-gets-personal

 

don't know if this has been posted

on 21/06/2021
https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/GPStaff/i...bsiteKey=d683b483-45d7-4e48-9daa-1a916120ba9c

links to:
https://www.thinkgp.com.au/education/mecfs-part-2

Ensuring a patient-centred approach to care for people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

 

Nicely done programme. No breaking news or anything but I'm looking forward to the day when media representations of ME reach this level of accuracy and sensitivity as a matter of course (though RNZ in general is comparatively good on that count).

Give it some traffic, podcast ratings, reviews, whatever, to show appreciation. The interviewer/producer is quite new to the job on that show. Want to encourage her (and RNZ) to do more good work on ME in the future.

 

It looks like we have an Australian CPD /education provider for health professionals operating in NZ. They published an online CPD (worth 4 mins) on ME/CFS in April 2021...
https://www.ausmed.co.nz/cpd/articles/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

 

New ten minute interview with Dr Ros Vallings on CFS and risks of covid vaccine. Includes introduction to CFS.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/prog...nic-fatigue-syndrome-and-the-covid-19-vaccine

 

The Science Media Centre (NZ) has published an expert reaction article (6th july) about Andreas Goebel et al study 'Passive transfer of fibromyalgia symptoms from patients to mice'.
https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.n...may-not-be-only-in-the-brain-expert-reaction/

Discussion in S4ME on the study here

ex SMC NZ...

Prof Tate was one of the 3 experts making comment. And all three mention Long Covid or ME/CFS in their response.

 

Because this is outside of my basic understanding of biology: do we know how to reliably clear antibodies? How do they do that and is that something that can be standardized as a treatment? Or would it have to be personalized for every individual depending on which antibodies are found? With the caveat that they probably fluctuate and are hard to find unless you know what you're looking for.

Related question: why wouldn't those antibodies be cleared? Do they naturally die or do they have to be cleared by an active process?

 

The half life of most IgGs is between 7-21 days depending on subtype. While in principle, they can be excreted, most are broken down after being internalised by cells, for example pinocytosis by endothelial cells or receptor mediated internalisation. They can also be degraded by extracellular proteases, and this will increase the likelihood of endocytosis into cells.

 

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - a complex disease that has come of age with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Seminar presented by Emeritus Professor Warren P Tate FRSNZ CNZM (Department of Biochemistry)

Thursday, 29 July 2021
Zoom details (free):
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/events/otago830543.html

 

This post https://theconversation.com/why-gov...ovid-when-easing-pandemic-restrictions-164944 on The Conversation appears to be by an academic at AUT (so, NZ).

This is the S4ME thread:
The Conversation: Why governments will have to consider the costs of long COVID when easing pandemic restrictions

 

A recording is now available:
https://echo360.net.au/media/4fdfc7ac-e5d3-4e05-a1df-9241450ef343/public

This was the description on the original webpage (see quote above):

 

Campbell Murdoch, retired GP, is presenting at GPCME South (General Practice Conference and Medical Exhibition) in Christchurch on August 22nd. 12 noon. 20 minutes.
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/south/index.php

Dr Murdoch was a leading advocate for pwME during the 1980s here in NZ, during the 'Tapanui Flu' period.
He wrote a book 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome a Patient-centered Approach' in 2002.

 

Cathy Stephenson GP, is presenting at the RNZCGP GP21 conference on Saturday, 7th August, 11:40 am. Wellington, "From harm to help - promoting an evidence based shift in our understanding of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (30 mins)" - Concurrent 3e session.
Dr Stephenson will be talking about her experience exploring the latest guidance and developing an article for NZ Doctor in 2020 on the topic.
https://www.generalpractice.org.nz/programme

Cathy Stephenson’s presentation has been posted in Resources for health professionals, From harm to help.

M.E. Awareness NZ will be present at the conference at Exhibitors Stand 5. Thanks to the funding raised in December 2019 by Richard Medlicott GP when he participated in The Pioneer mountain bike race.

 

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) General Practice Conference in Wellington started today, and the M.E. Awareness NZ stand is looking great.
Lot's of conversations and useful connections being made.

We have curated a great range of resources, including a reprint of the New Zealand Doctor article How to Treat: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We are grateful to be here at GP21 - and it's thanks to the 'Doc Pioneers for M.E.' fundraising campaign in December 2019. Thanks to GP Richard Medlicott for riding The Pioneer for us, and to the generous donors.

 

MECFS Canterbury has coordinated a series of events in Christchurch for Dr Lynette Hodges from Massey University later this month.
Full Details on https://www.healthychristchurch.org...ions-on-exercise-and-chronic-fatigue-syndrome

Exercise Physiologist Dr Lynette Hodges is presenting in Christchurch in August on her leading international research into the abnormal physiological response to exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

These are opportunities to get up to date with research findings about why people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have difficulty in completing exercise programmes and activities of daily living.

Webinar for allied health professionals
This webinar is organised by the Canterbury Initiative (Canterbury DHB) to support the recent updates to guidance for ME/CFS on Allied Healthways and Health Pathways.

Seminar for health professionals and people with ME/ CFS and their whānau
This seminar is hosted by MECFS Canterbury - everyone welcome.

Research seminar for health, medical and research professionals
Within the University of Otago, Christchurch campus, Research Seminar Series
A recording of the presentation will available on the University of Otago website after the event ( https://www.otago.ac.nz/uoc-research-seminar ).

Grand Rounds, Christchurch Hospital
Dr Hodges has also been invited to present to Hospital Physicians and medical students.

About presenter Dr Lynette Hodges

 

Any sign of this?

 

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE:
The recording of Dr Lynette Hodges' recent presentation in the Research Seminar Series for University of Otago, Christchurch campus, has been shared.
Dr Hodges, an Exercise Physiologist and senior lecturer at Massey University, spoke about her research into the abnormal physiological response to exercise in ME/CFS on 26th August.

Key messages included;
• It is important to validate patient's symptoms
• Graded exercise therapy has risks and can worsen symptoms for those with ME/CFS
• Post-exertional malaise (feeling ill and increase in symptoms after exertion) needs to be avoided where possible
• Patients need to monitor their symptoms. There may be no room for any additional exercise activity over basic daily activities.
• Heart rate monitoring, activity diary, activity trackers are useful.

TO WATCH:
✦ The video is available on www.otago.ac.nz/uoc-research-seminar The presentation has the title 'The abnormal physiological response to exercise in people with ME/CFS' and is dated 26th August.
✦ Direct link to video https://echo360.net.au/media/86177f...toplay=false&automute=false&startTimeMillis=0

BIO:
Dr Lynette Hodges (PhD, MSc, BSc) is a senior lecturer at Massey University within the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition in Palmerston North.
She teaches on the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise, Exercise Prescription major. Her main focus is exercise and compromised health. Dr Hodges has specialized in investigating the effects of exercise and its impact on mobility in individuals with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr Hodges has been researching into the effects of exercise on ME/CFS for the last 6 years and has a number of publications within this area.

CAN YOU MAKE A DONATION?
To make a donation to Dr Hodges to suppport further research visit https://foundation.massey.ac.nz/donate-online