Long COVID: Damaged mitochondria in muscles might be linked to some of the symptoms
Originally published by Caroline Dalton, The Conversation, on January 12, 2024 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It's estimated that around 3% of people in the UK experience long COVID — persistent, long-lasting symptoms after a COVID-19 infection. Long COVID encompasses a range of health problems that can begin after even a mild COVID infection. Some of these symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches and loss of smell . For around 50% of long COVID sufferers , their symptoms also fit criteria for a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis ( ME ), a neuro-immune disease characterized by depleted energy, muscle weakness and pain, cognitive dysfunction and dysautonomia (which affects blood pressure and heart rate). A cardinal feature of ME is " post-exertional malaise " ( PEM ). This refers to a worsening of symptoms that takes place around 24-48 hours after any form of exertion —whether that