New findings from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative suggest that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may be associated with an increase in the number of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) cases. According to the results, 4.5% post-COVID-19 participants met ME/CFS diagnostic criteria, compared to 0.6% participants that had not been infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus.  RECOVER is NIH’s national program to understand, diagnose, prevent, and treat Long COVID.

Imagine having a digital carbon copy of yourself that physicians could use to predict long-term risks for disease, assess how your body may respond to treatment, and simulate surgeries in advance. A virtual twin may sound as far-fetched as robotic surgery and self-driving cars once did, but researchers are studying how to turn this vision into a reality.