The novel coronavirus may lead to an epidemic of chronic fatigue syndrome, doctors recently told NorthJersey.com.
What’s going on: The novel coronavirus continues to infect people across the country. In many cases, COVID-19 survivors have ended up with long-term health issues, otherwise known as long COVID-19, per NorthJersey.com.
- One of those long COVID-19 symptoms includes chronic fatigue syndrome — or myalgic encephalomyelitis, otherwise called “ME.”
What they’re saying: “When we saw COVID happening, people in the ME community were some of the first to raise alarm bells that this was going to be a mass disabling event,” Robert Sklans of Metuchen, a board member with the advocacy group #MEAction Network, told NorthJersey.com.
- “We were looking at the symptoms of long COVID and saying there are going to be a boatload of people with ME/CFS.”
More symptoms: A new study published in the medical journal The BMJ found that about one-third of COVID-19 patients developed a new COVID-19 symptom months after infection.
- Those symptoms often include fatigue, respiratory failure and high blood pressure.
The bigger picture: As states begin to drop COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates, vulnerable people — including those with high-risk medical conditions and long COVID-19 symptoms — are left more at risk.