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Coronavirus Watch: Connecting long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome

Cady Stanton   | Paste BN

Doctors and patient advocates are warning that COVID-19 could leave a new epidemic in its wake: millions more cases of the rare, mysterious condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Researchers increasingly see parallels between chronic fatigue syndrome, which affects 1.5 million Americans, and long-haul COVID-19, the barrage of symptoms including exhaustion, persistent pain and cognitive impairment that can linger for months in some patients. 

The connection between the two disorders is still being studied, but some research suggests the pandemic could more than triple the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome. Read more here.

It's Wednesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know for the middle of your week:

  • COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are all declining and federal health officials could ease guidance on masks soon, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
  • The U.S. is reporting fewer than 1 million new infections per week for the first time in two months, a review of Johns Hopkins data shows.
  • Vaccine maker BioNTech unveiled a plan Wednesday for modular manufacturing facilities that could dramatically boost production of vaccines and medicines in Africa.
  • 11,000 corrections officers in New Jersey have until Wednesday to show proof of vaccination or risk losing their jobs after the state's Supreme Court rejected a police union appeal attempting to block Gov. Phil Murphy's vaccine mandate.
  • Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly has resigned amid criticism over his handling of a truck convoy protest that has fueled three weeks of chaos in Canada's capital city. 

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 76% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 64% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Cady Stanton, Paste BN digital editor fellow, @cady_stanton

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