A 17-year-old high-school student who became bedridden for more than half of each day after a SARS-CoV-2 infection has made a full recovery from post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, according to a case report published in BioPsychoSocial Medicine on 10 September 2026. The report, authored by Takakazu Oka, describes how the patient, who had already received treatments at other medical facilities without returning to school, was ultimately able to enter university approximately one year after her initial consultation.
Post-COVID-19 ME/CFS is a condition in which some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop persistent fatigue and cognitive dysfunction that meet the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The report notes that no established treatment exists for this condition, and that accounts of patients who have recovered remain limited. Because the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the disabling symptoms are not yet fully understood, the author adopted a multifaceted treatment approach that considered disease severity, functional level, illness beliefs and coping behaviors, social support systems, comorbidities, secondary issues, and the phase of recovery.
The treatment programme described in the case presentation comprised ten components introduced progressively and tailored to the patient’s phase of recovery. These were instruction on eating habits and supplements; instruction on physical activities; instruction on managing cognitive fatigue; environmental adjustment; pharmacotherapy with midodrine, ibudilast, and the traditional Japanese herbal medicines hochuekkito and tokishakuyakusan; facilitation of therapeutic interoceptive awareness; adjustment of disrupted diurnal sleep-wake rhythms; conditioning exercise; instructions for safe recovery; and nurturing self-efficacy.
According to the report, the patient was referred to the author’s department for severe fatigue that developed after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite treatments at other facilities, she remained bedridden for more than half of each day and was unable to attend school. After the progressive, multiperspective interventions, the report states that approximately one year after her initial consultation she made a full recovery, entered university, and is now enjoying university life.
The author concludes that the report describes, in detail, the evaluation and multifaceted treatment of a 17-year-old high-school student with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS who had been unable to attend school but who ultimately recovered and was able to attend university. As a single-patient case report, the findings describe one individual’s course of care and cannot by themselves establish the efficacy of any component of the treatment approach for post-COVID-19 ME/CFS more broadly, a limitation consistent with the report’s own observation that no established treatment exists and that recovery reports remain limited. The article was published as an open-access case report and, at the time of this writing, was shared as an early, peer-reviewed accepted version subject to further edits before the final version of record.
Subject of Research: A case report of multifaceted treatment and recovery in an adolescent with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS
Article Title: Post-COVID-19 ME/CFS: a case report of the treatment and recovery of a 17-year-old high-school student
Article References: Oka, T. (2026). Post-COVID-19 ME/CFS: a case report of the treatment and recovery of a 17-year-old high-school student. BioPsychoSocial Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-026-00372-0
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s13030-026-00372-0
Keywords: post-COVID-19, ME/CFS, chronic fatigue syndrome, case report, SARS-CoV-2, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, midodrine, ibudilast, rehabilitation, adolescent health, BioPsychoSocial Medicine
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (October 28, 2026). Teenager with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS recovers after a year of multifaceted care, case report says. Scienmag.
