Full Article written By Patrick Hadfield – ME Auckland
Post-infectious illnesses are not new. In fact, I’m writing this because 12 May is ME/CFS Awareness Day – a day chosen as it marks Florence Nightingale’s birthday. The famous nurse was thought to have developed ME/CFS from a flu-like infection following the Crimean War.
A recent study revealed that 25 out of 29 ME/CFS symptoms were also reported in Long Covid. Such symptoms include post-exertional malaise, orthostatic intolerance, thermostatic instability, sensory sensitivities and other specific autonomic and neurological manifestations.
Both ME/CFS and Long Covid even feature insomnia. It’s a tragic irony that an illness can cause both fatigue and the inability to sleep.
Up to 10 percent of people who get Covid-19 may develop Long Covid.
As a country, we need to draw on already-available research and international practice to provide the best care for people with Long Covid now. This means learning from ME/CFS.