Dear Secretary of State for Health and Social care, and Minister for Public Health and Prevention,
Across the UK and internationally, clinicians and patient communities are observing a deeply concerning trend: individuals who experience multiple viral infections within a short period are increasingly developing long‑term, debilitating conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E./C.F.S.). One recent case involved a person who contracted seven viral infections (more than 4 different viruses) in six months, with M.E./C.F.S. symptoms appearing only days after the seventh. Whether this was the cumulative effect of repeated immune stress or something specific to that final infection remains unclear, but the pattern itself is becoming impossible to overlook.
COVID‑19 continues to circulate widely, and reinfections have become a normal part of daily life. Each infection carries a risk of immune disruption, and immune dysregulation increases susceptibility to further infections. Repeated infections within short intervals are no longer rare, and this cycle is accelerating the number of people developing post‑viral chronic illnesses, particularly M.E./C.F.S., for which there are no known cures or approved treatments.
A growing body of peer‑reviewed research has shown that SARS‑CoV‑2 can cause long‑lasting immune abnormalities, including T‑cell exhaustion, reduced naïve T‑cell populations, persistent inflammatory signalling, disrupted interferon responses, and evidence of viral persistence in tissues. These findings have been documented in leading journals such as Nature, Cell, Immunity, and The Lancet (see links at the bottom of this open letter). While the long‑term consequences are still being studied, the direction of evidence is clear: COVID‑19 leaves many individuals more vulnerable to subsequent infections, and those infections are more likely to have severe or long‑lasting consequences.
Research comparing M.E./C.F.S. and Long COVID has identified strikingly similar biological features, including impaired energy metabolism, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, neuroinflammation, abnormal cytokine profiles, and post‑exertional symptom exacerbation (or Post Exertional Malaise). This overlap suggests that COVID‑19 is acting as a mass triggering event for M.E./C.F.S.‑like illness, both directly and indirectly.
The UK is already experiencing the consequences.; workforce participation has declined, long‑term sickness rates have risen, disability claims continue to increase, and shortages in skilled labour are becoming more pronounced. The NHS and social care systems are under growing pressure. Long COVID alone has removed an estimated hundreds of thousands of people from the workforce, and the secondary wave, those developing M.E./C.F.S. following repeated infections, adds an additional and largely unmeasured burden. If this trend continues, the economic consequences will be long‑lasting and severe.
Despite mounting evidence, current policy approaches still assume that reinfections are low risk, that repeated viral exposure is acceptable, and that long term consequences are minimal. This assumption is no longer supported by emerging data. The absence of a coordinated national strategy to reduce transmission, improve indoor air quality, or support research into post‑viral illness leaves the UK vulnerable to escalating health and economic costs.
There are clear steps that could mitigate this growing burden: Improving ventilation and air filtration in public buildings, schools, and workplaces would reduce transmission of airborne viruses. Promoting high‑quality masks in healthcare and other high risk settings would protect both staff and patients. Public health messaging should reflect current scientific understanding of reinfection risks. Increased funding for M.E./C.F.S. and Long COVID research, expansion of specialist clinics, and support for biomedical investigation into post‑viral illness mechanisms are urgently needed. Protecting the workforce through flexible policies, reasonable adjustments, and employer guidance would help retain skilled workers. Finally, repeated infections must be recognised as a systemic risk and incorporated into national health security planning, including monitoring and reporting reinfection rates and long term outcomes.
Our population’s immune resilience has been repeatedly challenged over the past six years. Many people now experience colds and flu more severely, recover more slowly, and are more susceptible to additional infections. For some, it has become a form of Russian Roulette, never knowing which infection may lead to a life‑altering chronic illness.
The question is no longer whether this will affect the UK’s health and economy. It already has. The question now is whether policymakers will act decisively, or allow the burden to grow until it becomes unmanageable.
Yours sincerely,
Sally Callow
Person living with M.E since 2006, M.E. campaigner since 2014, and Founder of social enterprises ME Foggy Dog and Stripy Lightbulb CIC.
Open letter also emailed to both the Secretary of State and Minister for Public Health and Prevention.
Peer‑Reviewed Research on Long‑Lasting Immune Abnormalities After SARS‑CoV‑2 Infection
Immunity – “Immune imprinting, breadth of variant recognition, and SARS‑CoV‑2 reinfection” (2022)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35148837/
Nature – “Longitudinal analyses reveal immunological misfiring in severe COVID‑19” (2020)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2588-y
Nature Immunology – “SARS‑CoV‑2 infection induces long‑lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans” (2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03647-4
Nature – “Immunological dysfunction persists for 8 months following initial mild‑to‑moderate SARS‑CoV‑2 infection” (2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-021-01113-x
Cell – “Longitudinal immune profiling reveals distinct immune response patterns in COVID‑19” (2020)
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30610-3
Nature – “SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and persistence throughout the human body and brain” (2022)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05542-y
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience – Intestinal barrier compromise, viral persistence, and immune dysregulation converge on neurological sequelae in Long COVID (2026)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12864456/
The Lancet – “Long COVID: pathophysiology and mechanism” (2023)
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00355-4/fulltext
Nature Communications – “SARS‑CoV‑2 infection induces long‑term immune dysregulation” (2023)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38129-0