01/09/2024

A Discovery in the Muscles of Long COVID Patients may Explain Exercise Troubles

Research has found widespread abnormalities in their muscle tissue

Hit the gym. Get back in shape. That's what many patients with long COVID are told when they talk of the crushing fatigue that envelops them after even a light bout of physical activity.

These symptoms of exhaustion, or post-exertional malaise as it is called, are a hallmark of long COVID and similar complex illnesses like chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS.

The idea that exercise can help patients has proven difficult to shake, despite evidence suggesting this isn't merely a case of de-conditioning that patients can overcome by pushing through the pain.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NPR.