My letter on ME/CFS in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in response to Sharpe et al: link.springer.com/article/10.100…

The history of how GET & CBT have been promoted, prescribed & researched is alarming. Sadly, these mistakes are now affecting people with #LongCovid.

1/ In response, the authors point out that 3 clinicians resigned from the NICE guideline committee before publication. This is true but misleading. NICE’s minutes state: “The whole guideline was agreed by the committee … before there were resignations.”
nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206…

2/

Wow! @GeorgeMonbiot is cited as a cause of #LongCovid (along with support groups & doctors) by Prof Sharpe in a presentation to Swiss Re, a reinsurance company associated with denying payments to people with ME/CFS: swissre.com/dam/jcr:788aa2…

This could be a big own goal.

1/ More on Swiss Re and its connections to Prof Sharpe’s colleague and fellow PACE trial PI Prof Peter White here: virology.ws/2017/08/07/tri… (blog by @davidtuller1).

Looking forward to your next column on Long Covid and ME/CFS, @GeorgeMonbiot.

2/

Dr Clare Gerada talking about #LongCovid on BBC Breakfast this morning: “There is nothing that isn’t made better through exercise. OK. Nothing. No matter what age, what condition, exercise will always improve it.” 1/ Staggering claim from former RCGP chair. Deeply offensive & harmful to millions of people with illnesses that are not made better by exercise. Draft NICE draft guideline for ME/CFS specifically warns against graded exercise. Please correct & apologise @BBCBreakfast @TVNaga01. 2/

My letter to the BMJ highlighting the harms of graded exercise therapy and PACE-type CBT for people with ME/CFS, and calling on those who have failed patients by promoting ineffective and harmful treatments to acknowledge their mistakes and apologise:
bmj.com/content/371/bm… There is also an excellent letter by Andrew Devereux-Cook which makes some very good points, including how chronic underinvestment in ME/CFS research may now be impacting on people with #LongCovid. He also highlights the important work of @DecodeMEstudy: bmj.com/content/371/bm…

1) Virtual conference on Supporting Patients Living with #longCovid: healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-ma…

Wed 9 December

Speakers include: Dr Clare Gerada, Prof Lynne Turner-Stokes and Professor Trudie Chalder. All prominent advocates of graded exercise therapy (GET) and CBT for ME/CFS. 2) The new NICE draft Guideline on ME/CFS states that patients should not be given GET or CBT as a treatment: nice.org.uk/guidance/GID-N…

#LongHaulers may question whether those who have promoted these treatments for ME should be advising on #LongCovid.