Black Friday = 10% for you + 10% for the fight against long covid

Our Black Friday focus this year is on lung covid, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and other post-infectious conditions.

In addition to 10% off for you, we also donate 10% of the proceeds to Not Recovered Belgium and the Open Medicine Foundation. These organizations are committed to greater recognition and research into post-infectious diseases.

Content:

1. What is long covid?

2. A Day in the Life of Physics Girl Dianna Cowern

3. Read more: The Correspondent and Flair

4. Triple your donation to the Open Medicine Foundation.

5. Sign the petition of Not Recovered Belgium.

1. What is long covid?

An estimated 400 million people worldwide suffer from lung covid, and although there is increasing research into this complex chronic disease, the road to effective treatments remains long and arduous. Lung covid has profound effects on various parts of the body, including the energy metabolism, nervous system, immune system and digestive system.

There are about 200 symptoms that occur with lung covid, and one of the most debilitating is of both lung covid and ME/CFS is post-exertional malaise. It literally means "malaise after exertion" and refers to an exacerbation of symptoms that starts several hours to days after a - for a healthy person usually trivial - physical, mental or emotional exertion and can lead to extreme fatigue (read: inability to move), muscle acidosis, joint pain, extreme cognitive problems and severe flu-like symptoms.

Unfortunately, many patients face misdiagnoses or treatments that worsen their situation, often due to a lack of knowledge among health care providers. (Standard blood tests often have no abnormal results, but new clinical trials find quite a few abnormalities in the meantime). Not Recovered Belgium wants to change this and calls for more recognition and research into these post-infectious, and often life-disrupting, conditions.

2. A Day in the Life of Physics Girl Dianna Cowern

Also, the amazing American Physics Girl has been suffering from very severe lung covid and the subdiagnoses ME, POTS and MCAS for two years and is completely bed-bound. She and her husband and Simone Giertz, among others, made a livestream about a day in her life and shared interviews with doctors specializing in such complex diseases.

"Post-exertional malaise is like borrowing (energy) from the mafia. You're guaranteed to regret it." - Simone Giertz

The result is an in-depth video with lots of lightheartedness and humor in which they raised over $100,000 for medical research through the Open Medicine Foundation. You can watch the video here on YouTube, at the bottom of the video you will find convenient time codes to watch the desired topic/interview.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Simone Giertz (@simonegiertz)

3. Want to read more?

The Correspondent also shared this in-depth article by science journalist Ed Young some time ago which offers a shorter but very clear look at long covid, ME and POTS. You can also listen to the article in your favorite podcast app.

Prefer a shorter article? Flair also recently published an article about 26-year-old Margot who suffers from ME.

4. Triple your donation to the Open Medicine Foundation.

The Open Medicine Foundation conducts worldwide research on lung covid, ME and related disorders. They also offer lots of (online) info for patients and doctors. Donations through Dec. 3 will be tripled by one donor.

5. Sign the petition of Not Recovered Belgium.

Not Recovered Belgium raises awareness about post-infectious diseases and campaigns for more recognition and more medical research. The petition below asks the Belgian government for more research and recognition of post-infectious diseases.