Muscle changes in long COVID and ME/CFS differ from those after prolonged bed rest

RTHM Health says researchers compared 25 people with long COVID, 26 with pre-pandemic ME/CFS, 30 healthy controls who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 and 24 healthy participants who underwent 60 days of strict bed rest. The reported muscle changes in the long COVID and ME/CFS groups differed from those caused by bed rest. The findings suggest inactivity alone cannot explain their reduced exercise capacity; muscle, vascular and mitochondrial abnormalities may contribute.