Muscle abnormalities worsen after post-exertional malaise in long COVID
ABSTRACT
A subgroup of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 remain symptomatic over three months after infection. A distinctive symptom of patients with long COVID is post-exertional malaise, which is associated with a worsening of fatigue- and pain-related symptoms after acute mental or physical exercise, but its underlying pathophysiology is unclear. With this longitudinal case-control study (NCT05225688), we provide new insights into the pathophysiology of post-exertional malaise in patients with long COVID. We show that skeletal muscle structure is associated with a lower exercise capacity in patients, and local and systemic metabolic disturbances, severe exercise-induced myopathy and tissue infiltration of amyloid-containing deposits in skeletal muscles of patients with long COVID worsen after induction of post-exertional malaise. This study highlights novel pathways that help to understand the pathophysiology of post-exertional malaise in patients suffering from long COVID and other post-infectious diseases.
Related Content
Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron Eras
Jul 17, 2024
- Long Covid
- Pandemic
- Infection
- Vaccines
Long COVID challenges in Brazil: an unfinished agenda for the Brazilian Unified National Health System
Feb 19, 2024
- Long Covid
- Public Health
- Editorial
- Brazil
The association between prolonged SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and work outcomes
Jul 29, 2024
- Long Covid
- Working Class