ME/CFS is not a new illness, although there is a lot of historical evidence that, just like covid-19, the spanish flu epidemic in 1918 was followed by a mass-disabling wave of postviral syndromes that lead to the eventual naming of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
A 2006 study in the Journal of Political Economy found that "cohorts in utero during the pandemic displayed reduced educational attainment, increased rates of physical disability, lower income, lower socioeconomic status, and higher transfer payments received compared with other birth cohorts."[311] A 2018 study found that the pandemic reduced educational attainment in populations.[312] The flu has also been linked to the outbreak of encephalitis lethargica in the 1920s.[313] Survivors faced an elevated mortality risk. Some survivors did not fully recover from physiological conditions resulting from infection.[314]
when you read Victorian novels and someone's eccentric spinster aunt is holed up in the family attic and referred to as an "invalid", that's where people with conditions like ME/CFS used to be in the social structure. the term "shut-in" was also used to refer to housebound people, whatever their reason for being housebound. these people have always been present in the world
this is actually a really good, concrete example of how just knowing stuff about history, and reading old books, can directly materially improve your quality of life. and its an experience ive had a lot because im privileged to have really intellectually curious, self-educated parents who would TELL me this stuff as a kid, and created the expectation that i would find things out for myself. im not lecturing anyone like "you need to read old boring books r your life sucks" thats not what im saying. im saying knowing concrete facts about things people think dont matter can change your life in big and small ways for the better. instead of being baffled and alienated about this subject, i have cultural context for it, i understand how it has worked in the past and can work in the present moment for me. i feel less ashamed and isolated!
i was even talking TO my dad about this a few weeks ago. and he was talking about how his wife, my stepmother, a lovely woman, was going through it a bit with some medical stuff ad she was frustrated dealing with all the recovery shit. and he said something like, "this is just a normal part of life fo everyone eventually, we used to have people we called 'invalids' in the last three centuries, people who we just took care of and weren't expected to do anything except survive and if they were lucky maybe recover. and it's not a big deal". and he's right!
but we have sort of erased this class you can inhabit from modern life, now you're just a temporarily-embarrassed Laborer, and everyone is mad at you until you recover your "wellness".
