On Friday, U.S. health officials released the first national estimate of the number of American adults suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, totaling 3.3 million individuals. This figure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is higher than previous studies suggested, potentially influenced by some patients experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19.
What is chronic fatigue syndrome? It is characterized by severe fatigue lasting for six months, which does not improve with bed rest. Patients also report symptoms such as pain, cognitive impairment, and other issues that may worsen after exercise or any other activity. There is no cure, blood test, or scan available for rapid diagnosis. Doctors have been unable to pinpoint the cause of this syndrome, though research suggests it may result from an overreaction of the body to infection or other immune system triggers.
The condition emerged nearly 40 years ago when clusters of cases were reported in Incline Village, Nevada, and Lyndonville, New York. Some doctors dismissed it as a psychosomatic illness, labeling it "sick flu," and some still hold this belief today. According to Elizabeth Anger from the CDC and a co-author of the report, this condition "is not a rare disease."
Hannah Powell, a 26-year-old from Utah, went undiagnosed for five years, during which doctors insisted she was suffering from hypochondria and that it was merely anxiety and depression. The new CDC report is based on a survey of 57,000 American adults conducted in 2021 and 2022. Participants were asked if a doctor had previously informed them they had myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome and if they still had it; approximately 1.3% answered yes to both questions.
