{"id":20829,"date":"2021-04-02T13:47:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T20:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvecfs.org\/?p=20829"},"modified":"2021-11-19T22:35:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T22:35:36","slug":"solve-m-e-takes-the-lead-in-me-cfs-and-long-covid-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solvecfs.org\/solve-m-e-takes-the-lead-in-me-cfs-and-long-covid-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Solve M.E. takes the lead in ME\/CFS and Long COVID Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

A message from Solve M.E. President and CEO Oved Amitay:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our mission at Solve M.E. is to make ME\/CFS widely understood, diagnosable, and treatable. A key component to improving the lives of people with ME\/CFS is to fight the stigma and change the narrative of this devastating and misunderstood disease.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by a psychiatry resident at McMaster University naming our organization, our work on behalf of ME\/CFS patients, and connecting it to the growing group of Long COVID sufferers \u2014 two diseases that he falsely claims were invented by patient activists and are manifestations of mental illness.<\/p>\n

Those who suffer from Long COVID are facing the same disbelief and gaslighting our community has endured for decades, so we must now also tackle misinformation about Long COVID and its connection to ME\/CFS.<\/p>\n

In response, I wrote a letter to the editor of the WSJ, which you can read here<\/a>. The author\u2019s perspective is absolutely outside of the mainstream medical establishment\u2019s understanding of post-viral diseases, but unfortunately the highly visible platform creates the wrong impression that this is a credible view. Many members of our community contacted the author and the WSJ to let them know that this perspective is misinformed.<\/p>\n

Our Director of Advocacy and Community Relations, Emily Taylor, wrote to McMaster University leadership and explained why the piece was both incorrect and harmful to these vulnerable populations. She shared Solve\u2019s expertise and resources and offered to assist in educating McMaster students, faculty and staff about ME\/CFS and Long COVID. We hope they will respond and accept our help.<\/p>\n

While the publication of harmful fallacies by a health care provider in a prestigious media outlet is angering, it does provide us with the opportunity to take a leadership role in promoting accurate information and educate those in positions of power who can impact the lives of so many.<\/p>\n

Solve M.E. has also provided vital information across other platforms, including:<\/p>\n