A prospective observational study of post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome following the first pandemic wave in Germany and biomarkers associated with symptom severity
Claudia Kedor, Helma Freitag, Lil Meyer-Arndt, Kirsten Wittke, Leif G Hanitsch, Thomas Zoller, Fridolin Steinbeis, Milan Haffke, Gordon Rudolf, Bettina Heidecker, Thomas Bobbert, Joachim Spranger, Hans-Dieter Volk, Carsten Skurk, Frank Konietschke, Friedemann Paul, Uta Behrends, Judith Bellmann-Strobl, Carmen Scheibenbogen, Claudia Kedor, Helma Freitag, Lil Meyer-Arndt, Kirsten Wittke, Leif G Hanitsch, Thomas Zoller, Fridolin Steinbeis, Milan Haffke, Gordon Rudolf, Bettina Heidecker, Thomas Bobbert, Joachim Spranger, Hans-Dieter Volk, Carsten Skurk, Frank Konietschke, Friedemann Paul, Uta Behrends, Judith Bellmann-Strobl, Carmen Scheibenbogen
Abstract
A subset of patients has long-lasting symptoms after mild to moderate Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a prospective observational cohort study, we analyze clinical and laboratory parameters in 42 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients (29 female/13 male, median age 36.5 years) with persistent moderate to severe fatigue and exertion intolerance six months following COVID-19. Further we evaluate an age- and sex-matched postinfectious non-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome cohort comparatively. Most post-COVID-19 syndrome patients are moderately to severely impaired in daily live. 19 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients fulfill the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Disease severity and symptom burden is similar in post-COVID-19 syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and non-COVID-19/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Hand grip strength is diminished in most patients compared to normal values in healthy. Association of hand grip strength with hemoglobin, interleukin 8 and C-reactive protein in post-COVID-19 syndrome/non-myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and with hemoglobin, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, bilirubin, and ferritin in post-COVID-19 syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may indicate low level inflammation and hypoperfusion as potential pathomechanisms.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no competing interests.
© 2022. The Author(s).
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Source: PubMed