Andy
Senior Member (Voting rights)
General abstract:
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Long Covid) are complex, multisystem conditions with substantial symptom overlap and marked functional impairment. Epidemiological studies indicate that approximately two-thirds of individuals with ME/CFS report a preceding acute infection, most commonly viral, prior to symptom onset. Long Covid is defined by the persistence or emergence of symptoms for at least 12 weeks following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing a clearly identified infectious trigger. Both conditions share core clinical features, including post-exertional malaise, disabling fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbance, autonomic symptoms, and pain, suggesting overlapping pathophysiological pathways.
Important distinctions between the two diseases remain. ME/CFS is a heterogeneous syndrome that can follow non-infectious triggers, whereas Long Covid is, by definition, post-viral. In addition, certain symptoms, such as anosmia and prominent respiratory complaints, are more prevalent in Long Covid, particularly early in the disease course.
This workshop will critically examine similarities and distinctions between ME/CFS and Long Covid across clinical, biological, and research frameworks, with the aim of leveraging insights from both fields to inform diagnosis, stratification, and therapeutic development.
Speakers:
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Long Covid) are complex, multisystem conditions with substantial symptom overlap and marked functional impairment. Epidemiological studies indicate that approximately two-thirds of individuals with ME/CFS report a preceding acute infection, most commonly viral, prior to symptom onset. Long Covid is defined by the persistence or emergence of symptoms for at least 12 weeks following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, providing a clearly identified infectious trigger. Both conditions share core clinical features, including post-exertional malaise, disabling fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbance, autonomic symptoms, and pain, suggesting overlapping pathophysiological pathways.
Important distinctions between the two diseases remain. ME/CFS is a heterogeneous syndrome that can follow non-infectious triggers, whereas Long Covid is, by definition, post-viral. In addition, certain symptoms, such as anosmia and prominent respiratory complaints, are more prevalent in Long Covid, particularly early in the disease course.
This workshop will critically examine similarities and distinctions between ME/CFS and Long Covid across clinical, biological, and research frameworks, with the aim of leveraging insights from both fields to inform diagnosis, stratification, and therapeutic development.
Speakers:
- Prof. Danny Altmann – Professor of Immunology, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine
Rosetta Stone - a new study funded by the ME Association to characterise shared pathways between ME/CFS and Long Covid
- Dr. Andy Malinowski – VP Disease Biology, PrecisionLife
Genetic Commonalities between ME/CFS and Long COVID: Insights from Combinatorial Analysis
- Dr. Amy Proal – CEO/Research Director, PolyBio Research Foundation
Long COVID and ME/CFS: why persistent infections matter
- Prof. Manoj Sivan – Professor & Honorary Consultant in Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine, Univ. Leeds
The overlapping clinical syndromes of Long COVID and ME/CFS
- Prof. Nisreen Alwan – Head of the Centre for Population Health Sciences and Professor of Public Health at the University of Southampton
What is the role of the 'case definition' in shaping the research and health inequalities landscapes of ME/CFS and Long Covid?
