For the last few months we haven’t been able to escape from COVID-19, even though we all wish we could! Of course, hopes that the vaccine will be effective in restoring our lives back to normality we had before the pandemic are proving to be correct. However, there is a small percentage of people, who are still experiencing some symptoms of the virus many months after the initial virus has disappeared. For others, new symptoms have emerged. The symptoms are all too familiar to those who have ME/CFS. For an example of typical long- COVID symptoms, click here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-effect-coronavirus-long-covid/ and a list of typical ME/CFS symptoms click here :- https://meassociation.org.uk/about-what-is-mecfs/symptoms-testing-assessment/#Part%201
In some respects, with long-COVID becoming a large problem that is being acknowledged by health professionals, there is a glimmer of hope that long-COVID will get some much deserved attention and funding, and shine a light towards the ME/CFS community in regards to finding the primary cause of our distressing symptoms. It is an illness that I wouldn’t wish on anybody. Its unpredictability and many symptoms that arrive (often without warning) make life far more difficult. For more information on how research into ME/CFS has been sadly neglected, click here https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/long-covid-we-ve-been-here-before
The NHS is currently trialing rehabilitation clinics to gain a greater understanding of how the virus has affected those with long COVID. Although medical professionals are somewhat at odds as to what precisely ME/CFS results from (autoimmune verses neurological condition for example), we can definitively say the long-COVID results from the COVID-19 virus. One of the first interventions that is often offered to those with ME/CFS is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This article published in the guardian newspaper ( https://www.theguardian.com/commtisfree/2021/apr/27/long-covid-psychology-treat-body-brain ) and a subsequent letter from a reader ( https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/29/long-covid-why-psychological-therapies-have-limited-benefits ) illustrates that despite CBT having some benefits to those with ME/CFS, this one-size-fits-all approach would not be at all beneficial to those with Long COVID, despite the marked similarities between the two illnesses.
With the ever-growing influx of long-COVID patients, the problem is too large to be ignored and as a result, we cannot say that despite the vaccine rollout, that COVID-19 has been ‘dealt with’ and can be consigned to the past. We need an effective and long term plan for long-COVID patients. As a result, many of those with ME/CFS will feel relief that their symptoms may at last be researched and investigated thoroughly, giving us all hope of a reprieve from what, for some, has been decades of suffering and stigmatization.
For those interested in further reading into this subject, here are some links…
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4938/rr
https://www.verywellhealth.com/inflammation-autoimmunity-in-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-716122
Catherine Ridley 
Hi sorry I was waiting to read it when i got your email again thanks for the reminder. I read it and it’s a good read and relatable, I just left a comment. Jay x
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Hi sorry realised its different to the other email, thanks x
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