News in Brief - March 2026
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Week beginning 2nd March 2026
News, advocacy and articles
UK #ThereForMe Guest post from Tessa Munt MP
The Liberal Democrat MP for Wells and Mendip Hills in Somerset and current chair of the APPG on ME covers the case for change for people with ME/CFS, the need for government action, and how people can get involved.
Blog | Thread
UK Parliament Sharon Hodgson MP has been appointed as the new Minister for Public Health and Prevention
Following Ashely Dalton’s resignation, Sharon Hodgson has been appointed as the replacement to this role in the Department of Health and Social Care. Sharon has previously taken part in the APPG on ME and has tabled written questions on ME/CFS. A video of one of these appearances in Parliament can be found below.
Website | Video | Thread
Norwegian guidelines for chronic fatigue and ME/CFS
Drafts for these guidelines were published last month by the Directorate of Health to big disappointment for being outdated. Three patient organisations have taken dissent. Patients are calling for a separate guideline for ME/CFS. Blog posts and opinion pieces on the guidelines are shared in the thread.
The Norwegian ME Association has a survey, open until March 22nd, where patients with ME or Long Covid can give input for the association's response to the guidelines draft.
David Tuller has written two articles summarising the issues:
- Norway's Problematic Draft Guideline Combining Long-Term Fatigue and ME/CFS
- More on Norway's Problematic Draft Guideline for "Long-Term Fatigue-including ME/CFS"
Survey l Thread
UK ME/CFS Alliance 20th Anniversary event covered by BBC South
The Winchester-based ME/CFS Alliance held a 20th Anniversary “Stronger Together” event with presentations, discussion and workshops with the community and researchers. The aim was to look at the work being done now and the steps needed to get the UK government to fund further research. BBC South covered the event and contacted the Department of Health & Social Care for comment but had not received a response.
Article | Video | Thread
UK HLTH Chat Podcast Episode 8: Treating ME and Long Covid with Dr Binita Kane
“In this episode of HLTH Chat, we talk to Dr. Binita Kane, a consultant respiratory physician and founder of The Long Covid Clinic, about the immense challenges of treating chronic post-viral illnesses and the realities of establishing a specialist independent service.”
“We explore why so many patients with Long Covid and ME/CFS feel abandoned by the current healthcare system, and how Dr. Kane’s personal experience with her daughter’s illness drove her to leave a 25-year NHS career to fill a critical gap in care.”
“and why international research investment is a vital beacon of hope for millions.”
Video | Thread
Solve ME and #MEAction are partnering on a medical education initiative for this year's Advocacy Week (March 23-27). They're asking a central question: "How can we close the knowledge gap in ME/CFS and Long COVID care?" Registration is now open for volunteers.
Solve ME Article | #MEAction Article | Thread
...........
Coming events
Bateman Horne Center – "Coffee" with a Clinician
Wednesday, March 11, 10 am MDT (9 am PT / 11 am CT / 12 pm ET)
Topic: Post-Exertional Malaise, Part 1
Free to attend, optional $5 donation.
Registration | Thread
Massachusetts ME/CFS and FM Association – Sunday Conversations
Sunday, March 15, 4 pm Eastern Time / 1 pm Pacific Time
Topic: Heal Thyself: The Doctor as Patient
The program will be recorded for later viewing.
Registration | Thread
...........
Research news and commentary
UK - ME Association Rosetta Stone Study – Summary: Three month update
Currently in its initial setup phase, the team is recruiting specialist staff, updating ethical approvals, and finalising lab methods. There is also mention of participant recruitment, use of the Elaros app, and challenges identified so far. A video interview with Danny Altmann is included.
Website | Video | Thread
USA - NIH RECOVER Research Update: March 2026
An update from the NIH on Long Covid research publications from the RECOVER program.
Article | Thread
..........
Research
ME/CFS research
Charting the circulating proteome in ME/CFS using cross-system profiling to uncover mechanistic insights — August Hoel et al.
"the serum proteome in ME/CFS reveals a distinct pattern characterized by reduced release of intracellular proteins and increased secretion of extracellular proteins, indicating widespread tissue involvement and disturbed systemic homeostasis." "The reduced release of intracellular skeletal muscle proteins appears to represent a distinct ME/CFS phenotype that is supported by our data."
Article | Thread
Extracellular Vesicle Protein and MiRNA Signatures as Biomarkers for Post-Infectious ME/CFS Patients — Martina Seifert et al.
"HBA was the only marker among the identified proteins in our quantitative analyses that could be validated by ELISA, exclusively in the piME/CFS cohort. Moreover, ALS/IGFALS, identified by our qualitative approach, also displayed significantly enhanced levels only in the piME/CFS cohort."
Article | Thread
Pipeline-optimized machine learning for chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis: A lightweight, interpretable model using blood biochemical and metabolomic data — Li et al.
UK Biobank data, with self-reported diagnosis. "Our analysis reveals that total protein (TP), vitamin D (VD), total bilirubin (TBIL), urea, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are the five biomarkers with the highest contribution to the prediction of CFS risk."
Article | Thread
Assessment and Incidence Determination of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Following a SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Prospective Cohort of Hospital Employees — Matthias Tack et al.
"our study found an incidence of at least 11.8% (CI 95% 7.8–16.8) for PCS with fatigue and 3.2% (CI 95% 1.3–6.4) for post-COVID-19 ME/CFS in HEs 21 months after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection."
Article | Thread
The association between hair cortisol levels, Epstein-Barr virus infections and chronic fatigue in adolescents — Berit Elise Bergem Kongsnes et al.
"elevated hair cortisol levels prior to EBV infection were not associated with an increased risk of developing chronic fatigue" "Chronic fatigue at six months following acute EBV infection is associated with reduced levels of hair cortisol" "our findings suggest that symptomatic fatigue precedes these physiological changes rather than resulting directly from them."
Article | Thread
Identifying post-exertional malaise subtypes: Differentiating physical and mental PEM manifestations — Katherine Tuzzolino et al.
"our results indicated that an increase in age is associated with reduced (i.e. less burdened) symptom scores. One explanation for this finding could be that as our sample aged, they had a better understanding of their functional capacity and could better manage the illness and its symptoms." "Notably, we found that the ME/CFS groups were not as burdened by emotional issues compared to the Control group"
Article | Thread
Is the RACGP HANDI recommendation of incremental physical activity for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis harming patients? — Stallard et al.
"Given the lack of sound research support for graded exercise therapy in ME/CFS, the contraindication of graded exercise therapy by best practice guidelines in the US and the UK, and patient reports of iatrogenic harm, the RACGP guideline, Incremental physical activity for chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis, should be withdrawn immediately."
Article | Thread
Long Covid research
Plasma proteomic profile reveals persistent immune activation in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection — Fineschi et al.
"our extended proteomic analysis shows that key proinflammatory cytokines characterizing the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain dysregulated in individuals with PASC, even long after the initial infection." "This persistent immune perturbation suggests a failure of proper immune resolution that may not require detectable viral persistence in plasma"
Article | Thread
Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in COVID-19 positive patients reveals alterations in pathways linked to neurological dysfunction — Zameer et al.
"Our study shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with widespread, severity-specific epigenetic changes in peripheral blood, with minimal overlap in differentially methylated regions and genes among mild, moderate, and severe cases."
Article | Thread
Microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles link intestinal dysbiosis to neuroimmune activation in long COVID — Matheus Aranguren et al.
"Transfer of LC-associated microbiota into germ-free mice recapitulated features of intestinal barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and neuroinflammation, with effects most pronounced in mice colonized with microbiota from individuals with neurological symptoms."
Preprint | Thread
Post COVID-19 condition is associated with altered regional cerebral blood volume as revealed by dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI — MacIntosh et al.
"The findings revealed a pattern of lower rCBV in the PCC group relative to controls in ROIs that have previously been reported in analogous structural and perfusion neuroimaging studies."
Article | Thread
Increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment in long COVID patients — Jennifer A. Frontera et al.
"Using National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) - Alzheimer’s Association criteria we found a significantly increased cumulative incidence and hazard of MCI (and specifically AD subtype of MCI) in Long-COVID patients, compared to recovered-COVID and COVID-negative controls."
Article | Thread
Association of symptoms of neuropsychological long COVID with imaging and plasma biomarkers — Taizen Nakase et al.
"In our study, imbalanced activity of the occipital lobe between the right and left hemispheres was associated with cognitive dysfunction. Reduced activity in the right parietal lobe is correlated with psychological symptoms."
Article | Thread
Long-COVID: assessment of circulating markers suggests no cerebral neuronal damage, neuroinflammation or systemic inflammation–a controlled study — Omdal et al.
"The lack of elevation in LC patients indicates that ongoing symptoms such as subjective cognitive impairment ("brain fog") are unlikely to result from structural neuronal damage." "GFAP levels were also comparable between groups, suggesting an absence of astrocyte-driven neuroinflammation.
Article | Thread
Work ability and associated factors among individuals with Post COVID-19 condition- a cross-sectional study — Stigmar et al.
"we found that more than half of the participants experienced poor work ability." "Despite this, the majority (70%) were working." "The most prevalent symptoms in our cohort were mental and physical fatigue together with dizziness."
Article | Thread
The impact of testing positive versus negative for COVID-19 on health-related quality of life: cross-sectional evidence from the Alberta post-COVID-19 follow-up survey — Kirwin et al.
"The study found that people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported a bigger drop in their health-related quality of life than those who tested negative." "This decline impacted several areas of daily life such as mobility, ability to partake in usual activities, pain, and mental health."
Article | Thread
‘What Do People With Long Covid Want From Healthcare Services?’ A Qualitative Exploration From Lived Experience — Clare Rayner et al.
"Patients emphasised the importance of being heard and the value of receiving timely care that reflects the latest scientific understanding and recognises their condition as real, treatable and deserving of ongoing clinical attention."
Article | Thread
..........
S4ME social media: Forum, Mastodon, Bluesky
News, advocacy and articles
UK #ThereForMe Guest post from Tessa Munt MP
The Liberal Democrat MP for Wells and Mendip Hills in Somerset and current chair of the APPG on ME covers the case for change for people with ME/CFS, the need for government action, and how people can get involved.
Blog | Thread
UK Parliament Sharon Hodgson MP has been appointed as the new Minister for Public Health and Prevention
Following Ashely Dalton’s resignation, Sharon Hodgson has been appointed as the replacement to this role in the Department of Health and Social Care. Sharon has previously taken part in the APPG on ME and has tabled written questions on ME/CFS. A video of one of these appearances in Parliament can be found below.
Website | Video | Thread
Norwegian guidelines for chronic fatigue and ME/CFS
Drafts for these guidelines were published last month by the Directorate of Health to big disappointment for being outdated. Three patient organisations have taken dissent. Patients are calling for a separate guideline for ME/CFS. Blog posts and opinion pieces on the guidelines are shared in the thread.
The Norwegian ME Association has a survey, open until March 22nd, where patients with ME or Long Covid can give input for the association's response to the guidelines draft.
David Tuller has written two articles summarising the issues:
- Norway's Problematic Draft Guideline Combining Long-Term Fatigue and ME/CFS
- More on Norway's Problematic Draft Guideline for "Long-Term Fatigue-including ME/CFS"
Survey l Thread
UK ME/CFS Alliance 20th Anniversary event covered by BBC South
The Winchester-based ME/CFS Alliance held a 20th Anniversary “Stronger Together” event with presentations, discussion and workshops with the community and researchers. The aim was to look at the work being done now and the steps needed to get the UK government to fund further research. BBC South covered the event and contacted the Department of Health & Social Care for comment but had not received a response.
Article | Video | Thread
UK HLTH Chat Podcast Episode 8: Treating ME and Long Covid with Dr Binita Kane
“In this episode of HLTH Chat, we talk to Dr. Binita Kane, a consultant respiratory physician and founder of The Long Covid Clinic, about the immense challenges of treating chronic post-viral illnesses and the realities of establishing a specialist independent service.”
“We explore why so many patients with Long Covid and ME/CFS feel abandoned by the current healthcare system, and how Dr. Kane’s personal experience with her daughter’s illness drove her to leave a 25-year NHS career to fill a critical gap in care.”
“and why international research investment is a vital beacon of hope for millions.”
Video | Thread
Solve ME and #MEAction are partnering on a medical education initiative for this year's Advocacy Week (March 23-27). They're asking a central question: "How can we close the knowledge gap in ME/CFS and Long COVID care?" Registration is now open for volunteers.
Solve ME Article | #MEAction Article | Thread
...........
Coming events
Bateman Horne Center – "Coffee" with a Clinician
Wednesday, March 11, 10 am MDT (9 am PT / 11 am CT / 12 pm ET)
Topic: Post-Exertional Malaise, Part 1
Free to attend, optional $5 donation.
Registration | Thread
Massachusetts ME/CFS and FM Association – Sunday Conversations
Sunday, March 15, 4 pm Eastern Time / 1 pm Pacific Time
Topic: Heal Thyself: The Doctor as Patient
The program will be recorded for later viewing.
Registration | Thread
...........
Research news and commentary
UK - ME Association Rosetta Stone Study – Summary: Three month update
Currently in its initial setup phase, the team is recruiting specialist staff, updating ethical approvals, and finalising lab methods. There is also mention of participant recruitment, use of the Elaros app, and challenges identified so far. A video interview with Danny Altmann is included.
Website | Video | Thread
USA - NIH RECOVER Research Update: March 2026
An update from the NIH on Long Covid research publications from the RECOVER program.
Article | Thread
..........
Research
ME/CFS research
Charting the circulating proteome in ME/CFS using cross-system profiling to uncover mechanistic insights — August Hoel et al.
"the serum proteome in ME/CFS reveals a distinct pattern characterized by reduced release of intracellular proteins and increased secretion of extracellular proteins, indicating widespread tissue involvement and disturbed systemic homeostasis." "The reduced release of intracellular skeletal muscle proteins appears to represent a distinct ME/CFS phenotype that is supported by our data."
Article | Thread
Extracellular Vesicle Protein and MiRNA Signatures as Biomarkers for Post-Infectious ME/CFS Patients — Martina Seifert et al.
"HBA was the only marker among the identified proteins in our quantitative analyses that could be validated by ELISA, exclusively in the piME/CFS cohort. Moreover, ALS/IGFALS, identified by our qualitative approach, also displayed significantly enhanced levels only in the piME/CFS cohort."
Article | Thread
Pipeline-optimized machine learning for chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis: A lightweight, interpretable model using blood biochemical and metabolomic data — Li et al.
UK Biobank data, with self-reported diagnosis. "Our analysis reveals that total protein (TP), vitamin D (VD), total bilirubin (TBIL), urea, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) are the five biomarkers with the highest contribution to the prediction of CFS risk."
Article | Thread
Assessment and Incidence Determination of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Following a SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Prospective Cohort of Hospital Employees — Matthias Tack et al.
"our study found an incidence of at least 11.8% (CI 95% 7.8–16.8) for PCS with fatigue and 3.2% (CI 95% 1.3–6.4) for post-COVID-19 ME/CFS in HEs 21 months after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection."
Article | Thread
The association between hair cortisol levels, Epstein-Barr virus infections and chronic fatigue in adolescents — Berit Elise Bergem Kongsnes et al.
"elevated hair cortisol levels prior to EBV infection were not associated with an increased risk of developing chronic fatigue" "Chronic fatigue at six months following acute EBV infection is associated with reduced levels of hair cortisol" "our findings suggest that symptomatic fatigue precedes these physiological changes rather than resulting directly from them."
Article | Thread
Identifying post-exertional malaise subtypes: Differentiating physical and mental PEM manifestations — Katherine Tuzzolino et al.
"our results indicated that an increase in age is associated with reduced (i.e. less burdened) symptom scores. One explanation for this finding could be that as our sample aged, they had a better understanding of their functional capacity and could better manage the illness and its symptoms." "Notably, we found that the ME/CFS groups were not as burdened by emotional issues compared to the Control group"
Article | Thread
Is the RACGP HANDI recommendation of incremental physical activity for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis harming patients? — Stallard et al.
"Given the lack of sound research support for graded exercise therapy in ME/CFS, the contraindication of graded exercise therapy by best practice guidelines in the US and the UK, and patient reports of iatrogenic harm, the RACGP guideline, Incremental physical activity for chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis, should be withdrawn immediately."
Article | Thread
Long Covid research
Plasma proteomic profile reveals persistent immune activation in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection — Fineschi et al.
"our extended proteomic analysis shows that key proinflammatory cytokines characterizing the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain dysregulated in individuals with PASC, even long after the initial infection." "This persistent immune perturbation suggests a failure of proper immune resolution that may not require detectable viral persistence in plasma"
Article | Thread
Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in COVID-19 positive patients reveals alterations in pathways linked to neurological dysfunction — Zameer et al.
"Our study shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with widespread, severity-specific epigenetic changes in peripheral blood, with minimal overlap in differentially methylated regions and genes among mild, moderate, and severe cases."
Article | Thread
Microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles link intestinal dysbiosis to neuroimmune activation in long COVID — Matheus Aranguren et al.
"Transfer of LC-associated microbiota into germ-free mice recapitulated features of intestinal barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and neuroinflammation, with effects most pronounced in mice colonized with microbiota from individuals with neurological symptoms."
Preprint | Thread
Post COVID-19 condition is associated with altered regional cerebral blood volume as revealed by dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI — MacIntosh et al.
"The findings revealed a pattern of lower rCBV in the PCC group relative to controls in ROIs that have previously been reported in analogous structural and perfusion neuroimaging studies."
Article | Thread
Increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment in long COVID patients — Jennifer A. Frontera et al.
"Using National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) - Alzheimer’s Association criteria we found a significantly increased cumulative incidence and hazard of MCI (and specifically AD subtype of MCI) in Long-COVID patients, compared to recovered-COVID and COVID-negative controls."
Article | Thread
Association of symptoms of neuropsychological long COVID with imaging and plasma biomarkers — Taizen Nakase et al.
"In our study, imbalanced activity of the occipital lobe between the right and left hemispheres was associated with cognitive dysfunction. Reduced activity in the right parietal lobe is correlated with psychological symptoms."
Article | Thread
Long-COVID: assessment of circulating markers suggests no cerebral neuronal damage, neuroinflammation or systemic inflammation–a controlled study — Omdal et al.
"The lack of elevation in LC patients indicates that ongoing symptoms such as subjective cognitive impairment ("brain fog") are unlikely to result from structural neuronal damage." "GFAP levels were also comparable between groups, suggesting an absence of astrocyte-driven neuroinflammation.
Article | Thread
Work ability and associated factors among individuals with Post COVID-19 condition- a cross-sectional study — Stigmar et al.
"we found that more than half of the participants experienced poor work ability." "Despite this, the majority (70%) were working." "The most prevalent symptoms in our cohort were mental and physical fatigue together with dizziness."
Article | Thread
The impact of testing positive versus negative for COVID-19 on health-related quality of life: cross-sectional evidence from the Alberta post-COVID-19 follow-up survey — Kirwin et al.
"The study found that people who tested positive for COVID-19 reported a bigger drop in their health-related quality of life than those who tested negative." "This decline impacted several areas of daily life such as mobility, ability to partake in usual activities, pain, and mental health."
Article | Thread
‘What Do People With Long Covid Want From Healthcare Services?’ A Qualitative Exploration From Lived Experience — Clare Rayner et al.
"Patients emphasised the importance of being heard and the value of receiving timely care that reflects the latest scientific understanding and recognises their condition as real, treatable and deserving of ongoing clinical attention."
Article | Thread
..........
S4ME social media: Forum, Mastodon, Bluesky