Paul Garner on Long Covid and ME/CFS - BMJ articles and other media.

MSEsperanza said:
They actually don't exclude any health condition for their advice on physical activity for adults aged 19 to 64, just explicitly include
  • disabled adults
  • pregnant women and new mothers
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On this tab it describes exercise as a 'miracle cure':

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/

Step right up! It's the miracle cure we've all been waiting for.

It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

It's free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don't need a GP to get some. Its name? Exercise.
....

Exercise is the miracle cure we've always had, but for too long we've neglected to take our recommended dose. Our health is now suffering as a consequence.

This is no snake oil. Whatever your age, there's strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life.

People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

"If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented," says Dr Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant.
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Again, there's no warnings about exercising when suffering any chronic health condition, and no links to the evidence for the causal claims made.
 
InfiniteRubix said:
An appropriate example of dealing with the illiterate on this basis (PG in this case):

"Legally unsustainable, which your peers have zero control over

Science shoots the message when methods violate basic standards / messenger veers into weak sophistry

Reducing the definition of science towards illiteracy to excuse rampant malpractice was never appropriate @rcgp"

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MSEsperanza said:
Quote from the director of the BBC ECU:

It seems to me her language echoed the general advice given by the NHS and the UK Chief Medical Officers with regard to exercise. The NHS website says, for example, “Adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Any type of activity is good for you. The more you do the better”.
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Has anyone written a letter to the CMOs about this?
 
Extract from Guardian

"An early attempt at an intensive online exercise class, when I felt momentarily better, sent me straight back to bed for a week. Several months of malaise, exhaustion and brain fog followed."

Well as one of your new pals would say: "Well that's an extreme behavioral response, Paul"
 
" I obsessed about my symptoms. I ruminated about the causes. I began to wonder if I would ever recover."

"Serendipity ultimately led to a path of recovery ..... An academic colleague connected me to someone who had recovered from chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, and who supported me as my “recovery mentor”. Their compelling explanation of what was happening in relation to the brain and body changed my understanding of the symptoms I was experiencing. I found other personal stories on Recovery Norway, a website set up by people who have recovered from ME/CFS. The narratives the group has compiled gave me hope."

"I learned that my Covid-19 infection had probably induced a physiological stress response that put my brain in a state of high activation and had an immediate effect on my hormone, heart, gastrointestinal and immune systems. When I got sick, the brain shut me down with fatigue, as it should do, until I recovered. My nervous system scanned for alarm signals, described by the Oslo-based physician Vegard Wyller as “false fatigue alarms”, and after a time, classical conditioning (learned by association) caused the “kickback” symptoms in response to these signals."

OMG. Does this "medical scientist" have any understanding of physiology or biochemistry?

(Rhetorical question)
 
Did he supply the title? Probably not. It was probably the sub-editor's task. But what does "recovery is possible" mean.? It could seem to mean anyone can recover if they act correctly. If they fail to recover it will be their fault. Perhaps he needs to have words with the Grauniad.
 
"I learned that my Covid-19 infection had probably induced a physiological stress response that put my brain in a state of high activation and had an immediate effect on my hormone, heart, gastrointestinal and immune systems."

Paul discovers the concept of being ill.
 
chrisb said:
Did he supply the title? Probably not. It was probably the sub-editor's task. But what does "recovery is possible" mean.? It could seem to mean anyone can recover if they act correctly. If they fail to recover it will be their fault. Perhaps he needs to have words with the Grauniad.
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It's an article of faith in BPS circles that we are absolutely convinced recovery is impossible. It's a necessary assumption, they don't care how easy it is to contradict.
 
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