LONDON - As the UK’s daily death tolls fall and the immediate threat of Covid-19 recedes, doctors are warning that the outbreak may lead to a long-term surge in cases of a debilitating and untreatable disease.
Even mild cases of Covid-19 can cause permanent harm to lungs, brain and heart, doctors warn
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or CFS/ME, is an “illness with a wide range of symptoms”, says the NHS. The most common symptom “is feeling extremely tired and generally unwell”, it adds.
While the disease is not well understood, one potential cause is a change in the “immune system and the way it responds to infection”, says the US Centres for Disease Control.
After warnings from doctors that the physical damage of Covid-19 can last a lifetime, we now have another clear indication of how that might look.
Experts fear a wave of ME, often called chronic fatigue syndrome, an untreatable disease that leaves one in four patients bedbound.
The prediction comes as a stark warning that even as parts of the UK’s lockdown are lifted, we are not out of the woods yet.
