Long COVID may be a form of chronic fatigue syndrome
Long COVID as a putative subtype of chronic fatigue syndrome
This project looks for shared genetic and immune causes in people with Long COVID and people with chronic fatigue syndrome to explain lingering symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143218 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the research team will combine genetic and immune data already collected in many hospitals and biobanks to look for common causes between Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). They will analyze genetic information across a Long COVID working group of 46 cohorts with over 1.5 million people and meta-analyze CFS data from three biobanks totaling about 740,000 participants. The team will also study immune molecules and use a CFS consortium to link biological findings to symptoms. The overall aim is to determine whether Long COVID represents a subtype of CFS and to identify risk factors that explain who develops long-lasting symptoms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have Long COVID (persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection) or who have chronic fatigue syndrome would be most relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People without prior COVID-19 infection or without prolonged fatigue/multisystem symptoms are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors recognize shared causes of Long COVID and CFS and guide development of better diagnostics and targeted treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous genetic and immune studies have given clues about post-infectious fatigue and Long COVID, but large-scale direct comparisons between Long COVID and CFS at this size are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saxena, Richa — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Saxena, Richa
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.