Coronavirus

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Neuroscience

Virology

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Outbreak

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Immunology

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Psychology

Physical therapy

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Multiple sclerosis

Medicine

Encephalomyelitis

Disease

Pathogenesis

Pathology

Trends in Molecular Medicine

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause chronic and acute disease. Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) include injury to the lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain that may produce a variety of symptoms. PASC also includes a post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome ('long COVID') with features that can follow other acute infectious diseases and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Here we summarize what is known about the pathogenesis of ME/CFS and of 'acute' COVID-19, and we speculate that the pathogenesis of post-COVID-19 syndrome in some people may be similar to that of ME/CFS. We propose molecular mechanisms that might explain the fatigue and related symptoms in both illnesses, and we suggest a research agenda for both ME/CFS and post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Insights from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may help unravel the pathogenesis of postacute COVID-19 syndrome