tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One
. 2024 Sep 18;19(9):e0309810.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309810. eCollection 2024. Impact of COVID-19 on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness prevalence: A cross-sectional survey
Mariah S Wood[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nicole Halmer[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeanne Bertolli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Laura B Amsden[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joshua R Nugent[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jin-Mann S Lin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gretchen Rothrock[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Joelle Nadle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shua J Chai[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Jennifer R Cope[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jamila H Champsi[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], James Yang[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Elizabeth R Unger[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jacek Skarbinski[SUP] 1 4 7 8 [/SUP]; for STOP-ME/CFS and COVID-SELECT
Affiliations
Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) can be triggered by infectious agents including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ME/CFS prevalence is not well characterized.
Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional study, we enrolled a stratified random sample of 9,825 adult participants in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) integrated health system from July to October 2022 to assess overall ME/CFS-like illness prevalence and the proportion that were identified following COVID-19 illness. We used medical record and survey data to estimate the prevalence of ME/CFS-like illness based on self-reported symptoms congruent with the 2015 Institute of Medicine ME/CFS criteria. History of COVID-19 was based on a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test or ICD-10 diagnosis code in the medical record, or self-report of prior COVID-19 on a survey.
Results: Of 2,745,374 adults in the eligible population, an estimated 45,892 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32,869, 58,914) or 1.67% (CI 1.20%, 2.15%) had ME/CFS-like illness. Among those with ME/CFS-like illness, an estimated 14.12% (CI 3.64%, 24.6%) developed the illness after COVID-19. Among persons who had COVID-19, those with ME/CFS-like illness after COVID-19 were more likely to be unvaccinated and to have had COVID-19 before June 1, 2021. All persons with ME/CFS-like illness had significant impairment in physical, mental, emotional, social, and occupational functioning compared to persons without ME/CFS-like illness.
Conclusions: In a large, integrated health system, 1.67% of adults had ME/CFS-like illness and 14.12% of all persons with ME/CFS-like illness developed it after COVID-19. Though COVID-19 did not substantially increase ME/CFS-like illness in the KPNC population during the study time period, ME/CFS-like illness nevertheless affects a notable portion of this population and is consistent with estimates of ME/CFS prevalence in other populations. Additional attention is needed to improve awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of ME/CFS.
. 2024 Sep 18;19(9):e0309810.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309810. eCollection 2024. Impact of COVID-19 on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness prevalence: A cross-sectional survey
Mariah S Wood[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nicole Halmer[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeanne Bertolli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Laura B Amsden[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joshua R Nugent[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jin-Mann S Lin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gretchen Rothrock[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Joelle Nadle[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Shua J Chai[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Jennifer R Cope[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jamila H Champsi[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], James Yang[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Elizabeth R Unger[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jacek Skarbinski[SUP] 1 4 7 8 [/SUP]; for STOP-ME/CFS and COVID-SELECT
Affiliations
- PMID: 39292671
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309810
Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) can be triggered by infectious agents including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ME/CFS prevalence is not well characterized.
Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional study, we enrolled a stratified random sample of 9,825 adult participants in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) integrated health system from July to October 2022 to assess overall ME/CFS-like illness prevalence and the proportion that were identified following COVID-19 illness. We used medical record and survey data to estimate the prevalence of ME/CFS-like illness based on self-reported symptoms congruent with the 2015 Institute of Medicine ME/CFS criteria. History of COVID-19 was based on a positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test or ICD-10 diagnosis code in the medical record, or self-report of prior COVID-19 on a survey.
Results: Of 2,745,374 adults in the eligible population, an estimated 45,892 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32,869, 58,914) or 1.67% (CI 1.20%, 2.15%) had ME/CFS-like illness. Among those with ME/CFS-like illness, an estimated 14.12% (CI 3.64%, 24.6%) developed the illness after COVID-19. Among persons who had COVID-19, those with ME/CFS-like illness after COVID-19 were more likely to be unvaccinated and to have had COVID-19 before June 1, 2021. All persons with ME/CFS-like illness had significant impairment in physical, mental, emotional, social, and occupational functioning compared to persons without ME/CFS-like illness.
Conclusions: In a large, integrated health system, 1.67% of adults had ME/CFS-like illness and 14.12% of all persons with ME/CFS-like illness developed it after COVID-19. Though COVID-19 did not substantially increase ME/CFS-like illness in the KPNC population during the study time period, ME/CFS-like illness nevertheless affects a notable portion of this population and is consistent with estimates of ME/CFS prevalence in other populations. Additional attention is needed to improve awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of ME/CFS.