The aim of this study was to describe the clinical evolution during 6 months of follow-up of adults recovered from COVID-19. We tried to determine how many met the definition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). A total of 130 patients (51.0 ± 14 years, 34.6% female) were enrolled. Symptoms were common, participants reported a median number of 9 (IQR 5–14) symptoms. Fatigue was the most common symptom (61/130; 46.9%). Patients with fatigue were older 53.9 ± 13.5 years compared with 48.5 ± 13.3 years in those without fatigue (p = 0.02) and had a longer length of hospital stay, 17 ± 14 days vs. 13 ± 10 days (p = 0.04). There was no difference in other comorbidities between patients with fatigue and those without it, and no association between COVID-19 severity and fatigue. After multivariate adjustment of all baseline clinical features, only age 40 to 50 years old was positively associated with fatigue, OR 2.5 (95% CI 1.05–6.05) p = 0.03. In our survey, only 17 (13%) patients met the Institute of Medicine’s criteria for “systemic exertion intolerance disease,” the new name of ME/CFS. In conclusion, in some patients, the features of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome overlap with the clinical features of ME/CFS.

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AF affects millions of people worldwide and, left untreated, increases the risk and severity of stroke and heart failure. Although guidelines for the detection, diagnosis, and management of AF exist, there are gaps in implementation of these guidelines globally, and in particular in LMICs. This Roadmap identifies some potential solutions that may improve AF outcomes in LMICs but require further evaluation in these settings.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in humans. After successful cardioversion, there is a recurrence of 60% due to atrial remodeling, and it has been shown that the global peak atrial longitudinal strain (GPALS) is decreased in these subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of GPALS for AF recurrence. A prospective cohort of patients with persistent (PnVAF) and long standing persistent non-valvular AF (LSPnVAF) which underwent electrical cardioversion was evaluated with standard echocardiographic variables and GPALS quantification. The primary endpoint was AF recurrence at 6 months. We included PnVAF (n = 50, aged 68.4 ± 10.2 years, female 46%, lasted AF 6 months) and LSPnVAF (n = 81, aged 66.5 ± 13.1 years, female 36%, lasted AF 18 months). At 6 months there were a 68% of recurrence of AF in PnVAF and 53% in LSPnVAF group. GPALS was lower in recurrence 7.8 ± 2.0% versus 21.2 ± 8.9% (p < 0.001) for PnVAF and 7.3 ± 2.7% versus 20.7 ± 7.6% (p < 0.001) in LSPnVAF. GPALS ≤ 10.75% discriminates recurrence at 6 months with a sensitivity of 85%, specificity 99%, PPV 85%, NPV 90%, LR + 8.5 and LR- 0.17. The independent predictors of recurrence in PnVAF were GPALS ≤ 10.75% HR 8.89 [(2.2–35.7), p < 0.01] meanwhile in LSPnVAF were age HR 1.039 [(1.007-1.071), p = 0.01], and GPALS ≤ 10.75% HR 28.1 [(7.2–109.1), p < 0.001]. In subjects with PnVAF and LSPnVAF with successful electrical cardioversion, GPALS ≤ 10.75% predicts arrhythmia recurrence at 6-month follow-up.