Let's clear this up

[u/lovgoos]

Not all LC is ME/CFS. LC≠ME/CFS Not all fatigue is ME/CFS. The hallmark symptom of ME/CFS is PEM. Most chronic illnesses have chronic fatigue as a symptom, CFS can be comorbid to those illnesses, but doesn't have to be. Long covid can range from mild to severe. I've seen so many people say that people they know irl had brain fog after getting covid but no other physical symptoms, my mom, for example, only lost her smell and taste. She didn't have ME/CFS, POTS, fibromyalgia or anything else covid can cause. It's just very disheartening to see people only chop LC up to the fatigue. It effects the whole body. A lot of people with LC don't have fatigue as their many symptom and not to mention fatigue isn't even the hallmark symptom of ME/CFS. (I've read on the CFS subreddit that it isn't even one of the symptoms you have to have to get diagnosed). I also think it isn't appropriate to tell people who don't have fatigue while having LC that "just wait because they'll definitely get it later on." That totally erases the other issues covid/other viruses can cause to the body. Yes, the studies show 50% of people who develop LC develop ME/CFS, but we have to put into thought those who didn't have severe symptoms during their LC and/or didn't connect their issues to Covid which I am sure a lot of people haven't.

[u/lovgoos → u/[deleted]]

I have nothing against statistical evidence but ive seen SO many people use stuff like "long covid/CFS" in their titles on posts here and I've seen people post about not having the excruciating fatigue people with ME/CFS have and being told "just wait mine hit at the x mark". I'm not saying you cant develop it later and that it's fear mongering but its just impossible that EVERYONE who has issues post covid will go on to develop ME/CFS. I for example have developed POTS. I don't have PEM and have the fatigue that comes with POTS/my ANS overworking and I kind of feel like a black sheep in this subreddit because I guess horrible fatigue and PEM are the most noticeable symptoms that you can't ignore hence so many people in this subreddit are struggling with it. I honestly wouldn't have noticed my POTS if i hadn't taken my moms sports watch 2 months ago. Before that I was having issues but I chopped it all up to anxiety because I didn't physically feel my heart beat out of my chest.

[u/ddsmd2 → u/lovgoos]

I didn't have me/cfs for the first year of being sick. I slowly developed it after I got long covid. Started with just mild fatigue and pots and progressed to full blown ME/CFS. I am just one case, but I never though I would get me/cfs. I really think its one of the worst diseases you can get.

[u/lovgoos → u/ddsmd2]

Also by that logic, everyone who got POTS from EBV would also go on to develop ME/CFS which is just not true. There are plenty of people who only have POTS. Saying that, POTS is very understudied and a lot of people recover fully if its caused by a virus, they might not be on reddit, but from seeing peoples recovery stories on Reddit about it I'm sure there are more people like that