Thread by @TomKindlon

🧵
Press release for New Zealand paper:

“New research provides insight into Long COVID and ME: Researchers have uncovered how post-viral fatigue syndromes, including #LongCOVID, become life-changing diseases & why patients suffer frequent relapses”

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME #PwLC

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“Arising commonly from a viral infection, #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis/#ChronicFatigueSyndrome (#ME/#CFS), is known to cause brain-centered symptoms of neuroinflammation, loss of homeostasis, brain
fog, lack of refreshing sleep, & poor response to even small stresses”

#MEcfs

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“#LongCOVID has similar effects on people and is believed to also be
caused by neuroinflammation.

Lead author Emeritus Professor Warren Tate, of the University of Otago's Department of Biochemistry, says how these debilitating brain effects develop is poorly understood”

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“In a study published in Frontiers in
Neurology, he & colleagues from Otago, Victoria Univ of Wellington & Uni of Technology Sydney, developed a unifying model to explain how the brain-centered symptoms of these diseases are sustained through a brain-body connection”

#PVFS

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“They propose that, following an initial viral infection or stressor
event, the subsequent systemic pathology moves to the brain via
neurovascular pathways or through a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier.
This results in chronic neuroinflammation (contd.)”

#postviralillness

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“(Contd) leading to a sustained
illness with chronic relapse recovery cycles.

The model proposes healing does not occur because a signal continuously
cycles from the brain to the body, causing the patient to relapse”

#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #LongCovid #NeuroME #MyalgicE

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“The creation of this model is not only important for the 'huge research
effort ahead', but also to provide recognition for #MECFS & #LongCOVID sufferers. 'These diseases are very closely related, & it is clear the biological basis of Long COVID (contd)”

#postviralsyndrome

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“(contd) is unequivocally connected to the original COVID infection-so there should no longer be any debate &
doubt about the fact that post viral fatigue syndromes like #MECFS are
biologically based & involve much disturbed physiology,' Emeritus
Professor Tate says”

#CFS

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“This work will enable best evidence-based knowledge of these illnesses,
and best management practices, to be developed for medical professionals. 'Patients need appropriate affirmation of their biological-based illness (contd)”

#LongCovid #MEcfs #CFSME #MyalgicE #CFS #PwME

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“(Contd) and help to mitigate the distressing symptoms of these very difficult life-changing syndromes which are difficult for the patients to manage by themselves. 'This work highlighted that there is a susceptible subset of people who develop such syndromes”
#LongCovid #CFS

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“(Contd) when exposed to a severe stress, like infection with COVID-19, or the glandular fever virus Epstein Barr, or in some people with vaccination
that is interpreted as a severe stress”

#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #LongCovid #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #MEcfs #CFS #PwME

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“What should be a transient
inflammatory/immune response in the body to clear the infection, develop
immunity & manage the physiological stress, becomes chronic, and so the disease persists.'”

#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #LongCovid #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #PwLC #PwME #MEcfs

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“Warren Tate et al, Molecular Mechanisms of Neuroinflammation in #ME/#CFS and #LongCOVID to Sustain Disease and Promote Relapses, Frontiers in Neurology (2022).
frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

Press release from medicalxpress.com/news/2022-07-i…

#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #MEcfs #CFSME #PwME

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Thread on a subsequent radio interview and summary with Warren Tate

https://twitter.com/TomKindlon/status/1547206128861433857