If you compare funding and disease burden data across all diseases at the NIH for which this data is available, one disease stands out. It's ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), a condition that afflicted 1–2.5 million Americans before the pandemic. Those numbers are rising drastically as a result of long COVID. Research has shown around half of those with long COVID meet diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS after 6 months.
Arthur Mirin, Mary Dimmock, and Leonard Jason conducted the research into ME/CFS funding vs. disease burden that is referred to throughout this video: [ Ссылка ]
Their latest research update (published in April 2022 after the above video was released) incorporates ME/CFS triggered by SARS-CoV-2 into their existing models. It predicts ME/CFS prevalence will rise to between 5 and 9 million Americans, with an annual economic impact of $149B–$362B, far exceeding the pre-pandemic figures cited in this video. (Source: [ Ссылка ])
In December 2023 the CDC announced new survey results that put the latest estimate of Americans diagnosed with ME/CFS at 3.3 million adults ([ Ссылка ]) This is over twice the estimated prevalence used to calculate the figures in the video above, even while not accounting for pediatric ME/CFS or those who never received a formal doctor's diagnosis.
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For more resources, doctors and patients can refer to the U.S. ME/CFS Clinician Coalition: [ Ссылка ]
If you suspect you have ME/CFS, avoid exertion that triggers post-exertional malaise. For more information, refer to the following CDC guidelines: [ Ссылка ]
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Special thanks to Andrew Vickers, who composed the soundtrack for this video.
