ME/CFS in Austria: Affected people fight against ignorance and undersupply!

ME/CFS in Austria: Affected people fight against ignorance and undersupply!

Österreich, Österreich - An alarming survey under 1,026 of the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and their relatives have revealed serious grievances in medical care in Austria. According to the results carried out by patient voice in cooperation with the patient organization, most affected people suffer from considerable everyday and financial stress as well as inadequate recognition of their illness. The study shows that around 80,000 people in Austria are affected by ME/CFS and estimates that the number of cases has doubled due to the covid pandemic. Over 55 percent of the respondents stated that the disease had been triggered by a Covid 19 infection.

The survey not only documents the severity of the disease, but also the unsatisfactory medical care. On average, patients await an appointment with specialists for 14 weeks, with almost half of the seriously affected people not receive any medical support. The fact that around 59 percent of those affected state that their illness is not taken seriously by doctors is alarming. As the results of the study from all over Europe show, similar problems can be observed in many other countries, according to the survey of the European ME-Alliance up to 74 percent of the respondents received hardly or no adequate medical care.

global perspectives and urgent need for action

The report emphasizes that most of those affected suffer from post-exertional Malaise (PEM), a key symptom of ME/CFS, and many have reported that their condition has deteriorated after rehabilitation stays. These findings support the urgent call to improve medical care and to recognize ME/CFS as a serious chronic illness. The international survey also shows great differences in the period until the diagnosis, which ranges in well -networked countries up to over a decade in other countries. An appeal to the governments aims to invest more resources in the research and treatment of this serious illness in order to provide the affected people the support they urgently need.