This blog is entirely hypothetical but it is a situation that is plausible.
M.E/C.F.S can be triggered by a virus.
The current COVID-19 outbreak is heading towards being a global pandemic and this got us wondering if this will cause a spike in newly diagnosed M.E/C.F.S patients within the next few years? Or at the very least, a spike in people with symptoms of M.E/C.F.S with or without a diagnosis.
At the current time in 2020, there is no scientific explanation as to why viruses trigger M.E/C.F.S in some people and not others (M.E/C.F.S affects 1:500 people).
A number of people take a longer period of time to recover from a viral infection, they may well continue to feel unwell for up to 6 months. This person will receive a diagnosis of Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome from their doctor. However, if this continuation of sickness continues past 6 months a diagnosis of M.E/C.F.S should be considered. The criteria (there are a few different criteria) for M.E/C.F.S can be found HERE. There is no test for M.E/C.F.S.
The Open Medical Foundation predicts that 80-90% of patients worldwide have not received a diagnosis yet. Mainly due to the need for an improved knowledge-base within the medical profession.
There is no way to prevent getting M.E/C.F.S but our advice to anyone who has Coronavirus or any other virus is to rest and not try to push yourself to get better. If the virus has triggered M.E/C.F.S, resting will help to minimise the level of severity that you have. Resting could be the difference between having ‘mild’ M.E/C.F.S and being able to continue working part-time and being ‘severe’ and house or bed bound for years if not decades.
17-30 million people have M.E/C.F.S worldwide, we are hoping that COVID-19 doesn’t cause that estimated figure to rise even further.
M.E/C.F.S was already a global health crisis, here’s hoping this ‘hypothetical’ situation doesn’t become a reality.
I know this sounds awful but as a ME sufferer for 17 years if this is true and I think it will be then finally more research and money will be awarded to find a treatment or cure!
It has definitely impacted my health after spending 17 years establishing a very low baseline (around a quarter if that of a healthy ‘normal’ person); then the pandemic came and I’ve been set back about ten years, now with potential EBV reactivation and mast cells going crazy.
I’ve also just found out that there are several treatment options I could try yet have never been offered on NHS, despite having terrible symptoms with RLS/sleep issues and POTS for MANY YEARS! Apparently there are medications I can try to help alleviate this, yet none have been offered to me. This could have improved my quality of life in some areas at least. Unbelievable they want us to suffer when there are things they can do as our GP’s.
I’ve had to pay privately to even find this out. Also, oestrogen should be offered to more women with chronic inflammatory disease, yet we have to fight even for this, and testosterone! Neuro hormones equally affected.
Long Covid has definitely shed a light on the lack of care and dire situation, and as Diane says maybe progress will accelerate as a result of this new virus. Currently we’re seeing the same story being played out while compassionate scientists do the leg work behind the scenes on pitiful funding, despite the low quality of life we have compared to other diseases.