2019 Coronavirus pandemic outbreak

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
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The 2019-2021 Coronavirus pandemic outbreak of ME/CFS began with the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak, which was declared a pandemic in January 2020. SARS-CoV-2 caused most infected people to develop COVID-19, which then led to a substantial number of people developing Long COVID (long term COVID-19-like symptoms).[1] A significant proportion of Long COVID patients was found to have developed ME/CFS, although it is uncertain what the likelihood of ME/CFS is after COVID-19 infection.[2]

History[edit | edit source]

The new SARS-COV-2 virus was find to be very similar to the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus that led to the 2003 Hong Kong outbreak of ME/CFS. The high degree of transmission and high rate of COVID-19 resulting from the new coronavirus led to the World Health Organization announcing that COVID-19 was a pandemic on March 11, 2020.[3]

Outbreak announcement[edit | edit source]

In March 2021, while what became known as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was still ongoing, the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke highlighted a group of cases of ME/CFS arising directly after COVID-19.[4] The Open Medicine Foundation referred to the ME/CFS outbreak as a "potential second pandemic".

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]