BMJ Letter: GPs need awareness about post-covid ME/CFS

[Sly Saint]

Caroline Kamau-Mitchell, senior lecturer

Wise reports that general practitioners might be under-reporting long covid in patient records.1 Approximately 25% of people infected with SARS-CoV-1 developed debilitating fatigue and other symptoms that met diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) that continued for more than four years.2 So patients with long covid who have had chronic fatigue for six or more months, together with other mandatory symptoms, are likely to be diagnosed as having ME/CFS.

A recent inquiry report for the House of Lords discussed the need for GPs to follow-up patients with suspected long covid and to determine whether those still experiencing severe fatigue after six months meet the other diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS.3 Although there is no known cure, viruses are known to be one of the possible causes of ME/CFS,4 so recognising the chronic fatigue reported by many patients with long covid can help GPs direct them to appropriate support.3 Without enough awareness, patients presenting with long covid symptoms might not be believed by some GPs or might receive misdiagnoses for mental conditions. Not all patients with long covid have ME/CFS but, for those who do, GPs must identify the need for appropriate support, including referrals to occupational rehabilitation support services.3

Data are needed to clarify rates of ME/CFS after covid-19, and GPs can help by conducting six month follow-up of patients who report long covid.

https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1995

 

[MeSci]

occupational rehabilitation

Sigh.

 

[chrisb]

Dr Caroline Kamau-Mitchell — Birkbeck, University of London (bbk.ac.uk)

"She is the co-inventor of an occupational health intervention for doctors and other NHS staff coping with burnout and other work related distress."

 

[DokaGirl]

occupational rehabilitation

Sigh.

Sigh indeed.

 

[rvallee]

so recognising the chronic fatigue reported by many patients with long covid

Sigh some more

Not helping. Not even a little. This is the exact crap we have to stop if we're to make any progress.

Data are needed to clarify rates of ME/CFS after covid-19, and GPs can help by conducting six month follow-up of patients who report long covid.

No, they can't. Not now, not until the entire system of denial that was built to prevent any progress is acknowledged, dismantled and rebuilt with competence.

You can't undo decades of disinformation and maligning in a snap. At least not with partial measures. You won't even be able to reach half of GPs with that, most will simply refuse to apply it, there is too much contempt and hostility towards the idea.

 

[Ariel]

Shouldn't they only be offering "rehabilitation" to those who definitely DO NOT have ME/CFS?

Are people going to be able to continue with this?