Washington Post: Could long covid unlock clues to chronic fatigue and other poorly understood conditions?

Washington Post

Health
Could long covid unlock clues to chronic fatigue and other poorly understood conditions?

By Frances Stead Sellers
Today at 7:00 a.m. EST

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/11/07/long-covid-fatigue-research/

(...)

In February, NIH Director Francis S. Collins said the $1.15 billion investment in research would go beyond long covid to “improve our understanding of other chronic post-viral syndromes and autoimmune diseases, as well as other diseases with similar symptoms.”

Walter Koroshetz, director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and co-chair of the new initiative, said his and other departments have been collaborating on ME/CFS for several years but with little success, in part because the initial infection was often unclear and the symptoms diffuse. Now, Koroshetz said, covid is providing scientists with a “natural experiment.”

“This is our best chance to figure out ME/CFS,” Koroshetz said, “with the resources and an army of people.”

etc,

 

I’m ducking and weaving.
I’m twirling, I’m whirling.
A puff of smoke,
wave of my cloak.
On my dust you all choke.

 

The least relevant comment is from an NIH researcher, and somehow this is a perfect metaphor for everything. But overall a good article.

As for the lucrative snake oil market: it only exists because medicine is especially fond of a special type of snake oil and can't let go of it. Doesn't help that some of the worst charlatans have MDs. That never helps.

 

Interesting how some of the least self-aware in this world are psychiatrists.

And by interesting I mean utterly appalling.

 

Dear god what can we do to stop these headlines (“chronic fatigue”), especially when they are attached to an otherwise well-informed article!?

 

Unfortunately quotes Amy Proal, who has zero data, and not anyone from OMF, etc.