Radio Doctor – Medicine and Health
Limitless exhaustion
February 2, 2023 at 4:05 p.m
Fatigue has long been known in medicine. Long-lasting states of exhaustion often occur after cancer, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis and other serious debilitating diseases. However, the corona pandemic opened a new chapter. After surviving the SARS-CoV-2 infection, many people report that they don’t get “on the dam” for a long time. Not all complaints are solely due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, if leaden fatigue, poor concentration and shortness of breath persist one or three months after the illness, this is referred to as long or post-COVID syndrome. New terms for a long-known phenomenon, as neurologist Dr. Michael Stingl explains. After all, many viral diseases also lead to similar symptoms or frequent infections in the long term. In many cases, these phenomena disappeared again after a certain period of time. It is not yet known how long-Covid will be.
And then there is the picture of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Those affected suffer from severe physical exhaustion, which typically worsens after physical, mental, or emotional exertion. There is a term for this too: post-exertional malaise (PEM). Even small activities such as shopping, brushing your teeth, even getting up too quickly can aggravate the condition. Many ME/CFS sufferers are no longer able to participate in social life. In contrast to depression, the psychological drive would definitely be there. Muscle pain, flu symptoms, concentration problems and an increasing deterioration of the general condition are added.
Even if the clinical picture leads to a high level of suffering, those affected are often not believed and accused of lacking self-discipline. The WHO has classified ME/CFS as a neurological disease for more than 50 years. Since 2022, the “postviral fatigue syndrome” has been entered as 8E49 in the current version of the ICD-11 catalog of diseases.
While Post Covid is of course a young field of research, such conditions have been studied for other viral diseases for a long time. One of the main suspects: the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of glandular fever. Also known as “kissing disease” or student sickness because it tends to affect teenagers and young adults who get too close to each other. EBV can cause acute fever, tonsillitis, swollen lymph nodes, and an enlarged spleen. Like all other herpes viruses, it remains in the body after the disease has been overcome. The prevalence is high, 90 percent of all people carry the virus, even if many of them did not develop an illness.
A research team led by our program guest, Univ.-Prof.in Dr.in Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl, Head of the Center for Virology at MedUni Vienna, has now found out why some people contract EBV while others only go through a “silent recovery” – that is develop no symptoms after infection.
It is also known that in some cases an unpleasant reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus can occur. Some studies also conclude that Epstein-Barr virus is more common in long- and post-COVID sufferers. The virus is also associated with ME/CFS and may also increase the risk of other illnesses. Thus, people who have gone through glandular fever are likely to have a higher risk of getting multiple sclerosis.
Although the link between a viral illness and ME/CFS has become evident from the large number of people who have experienced a corona infection, caution is advised, as our guest Dr. Michael Stingl explains. Because it is often not clear whether a specific infection has actually led to postviral fatigue. Here it is important to think about diseases of the immune system or to rule out an autoimmune disease.
Univ.-Prof. dr Markus Hengstschläger and his guests take a look at the consequential damage that viruses can cause in our bodies, show new research results and the first therapeutic approaches against ME/CFS and Long Covid.
Service
Im Studio:
Univ.- Prof.in Dr.in Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl
Specialist in hygiene and microbiology, virologist
Head of the Center for Virology
Meduni Vienna
Kinderspitalgasse 15A
1090 Wien
E-Mail
Homepage
I have Phone:
Dr. Michael Stingl
Specialist in neurology
Specialist center Votivpark
Garnisongasse 7/13
1090 Wien
E-Mail
Homepage
Kevin Thonhofer
affected
Chairman of the Austrian Society for ME/CFS
Obere Augartenstraße 26 – 28
1020 Wien
E-Mail
Homepage
Further contact points and information links:
Austrian Society for ME/CFS
CFS Help Austria
Association & those affected initiative Longcovid Austria
German Society for ME/CFS eV: What is ME/CFS?
Michael Stingl: Information about Long Covid
Meduni Vienna: Specific immune response against Epstein-Barr virus discovered
German Center for Infection Research: EBV and MS – Vaccine Development
Ö1 radio doctor on CFS
SWR: Corona long-term consequences of the Epstein-Barr virus?
Book Tips:
Nils Winkler, Gitta Meier, “The monster afterwards: The new, old widespread disease ME/CFS”, Nova MD 2022
Uwe Friedrich, “Long Covid – and now? Successfully countering the consequences of viral diseases”, Klar Verlag 2021
Claudia Ellert, “Long Covid – ways to new strength: Symptoms, treatment methods, help for self-help”, ZS Verlag 2022