ME/CFS and Long COVID
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) affects approximately 260,000 Australians.
Studies worldwide suggest that around half of all people with Long COVID - which affects approximately 10% of individuals infected with SARS‑CoV‑2 - also meet the criteria for an ME/CFS diagnosis. The two conditions are clinically similar.
Access members with lived experience
To help researchers better understand these illnesses, La Trobe researcher Dr Sarah Annesley has developed a network of people with lived experience of Long COVID and ME/CFS. This network includes members from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Researchers can apply to consult with members of this group by completing an application form.
Individuals interested in joining the network can email: S.Annesley@latrobe.edu.au
La Trobe’s ME/CFS Long COVID project
There is currently no diagnostic test for ME/CFS or Long COVID. Diagnosis relies on ruling out other conditions, leaving many patients without clear answers for long periods.
Researchers have proposed several biomarkers - measurable biological characteristics that can differentiate between a diseased and healthy state. These biomarkers have been successfully used within specific study groups, but none have yet been validated across different cohorts or laboratories.
With funding from the Mason Foundation, Dr Annesley and her team are collaborating with Anna Brooks (University of Auckland) and Dr Lesley Cheng (La Trobe) to identify ME/CFS biomarkers in cohorts from different geographical regions. Their aim is to determine whether these biomarkers can reliably identify the illness regardless of study location or method.
To increase sensitivity and specificity, the team is developing multi‑biomarker approaches that integrate gene expression, immune markers, micro‑RNA, and inflammation. This work is further supported by a Medical Research Future Fund project led by the University of Queensland, in collaboration with Dr Stephanie Gras at La Trobe.
This large‑scale study will analyse blood samples from people with Long COVID and apply machine learning to identify the biological features most strongly associated with the illness - with the ultimate goal of developing the world’s first diagnostic test for Long COVID.
In addition to biomarker discovery and development of a diagnostic test for ME/CFS and Long COVID Sarah’s group are working to develop a better understanding of how the disease develops and persists and testing therapeutics which may help in alleviating the debilitating symptoms of the diseases.