What is Long-Covid?
It is currently estimated that around 10% of people who catch COVID-19 infection are failing to fully recover and have what has been termed 'Long-Covid' or 'post-COVID-19 syndrome'. This is a diagnosis that is normally being made when a person is still symptomatic three months after the onset of an infection that has probably been due to, or confirmed as being due to COVID-19.
At present, there is no diagnostic blood test for Long-Covid.
Is Long-COVID the same as ME/CFS?
The following exert is taken from The ME Association's May 2022 Publication, 'Long Covid & ME?CFS - Are they the same?
'The ME Association (MEA) takes the view that Long Covid and ME/CFS are both examples of a serious and debilitating condition that can follow any type of viral infection. And while a wide range of viral infections can trigger ME/CFS, in previous coronavirus infection outbreaks (e.g., SARS/severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002-2004 and MERS/Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012) there have been reliable reports in the medical journals of some people going on to develop an ME/CFS-like illness.
While both conditions have some key symptoms in common, and there may be a similar level of fluctuating functional impairment in both, there are also some important differences that distinguish some people with Long Covid from those with ME/CFS.
The picture is further complicated because not everyone with Long Covid is able to confirm a previous infection with COVID-19 and an increasing number of people who had Long Covid, or symptoms suggestive of Long Covid, are now being diagnosed with post-COVID ME/CFS' ...continue reading the full document