This article was originally published on Prohealth.com. It is being republished here with permission from the editor.
According to a newly published study in the Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, there’s finally an advantage to living with fibromyalgia. Researchers from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and California-based biomedical firm EpicGenetics have confirmed fibromyalgia patients are much less likely to die from COVID-19 or develop severe complications from it than the general public.
During a screening, only 82 out of 2,195 fibromyalgia patients tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. And, only one of those 82 individuals was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator for severe COVID-19 infection.
“According to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], a total of 63,152 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 associated hospitalizations per day were reported between March 1, 2020 and Oct. 17, 2020,” reads the study. “The overall cumulative hospitalization rate was 193.7 per 100,000 population. Using those numbers, we would have expected far more than just one person in our cohort to have required a hospitalization but that did not transpire.”
Even more shocking, there were no COVID-19 deaths among the cohort of fibromyalgia patients.
“I was concerned that patients with fibromyalgia would be more susceptible to COVID-19 because their immune systems are not as potent in certain aspects as patients [without fibromyalgia],” says Dr. Bruce Gillis, CEO of EpicGenetics, the company that released the FM/a fibromyalgia blood test in 2012. “It was very surprising that we found out the opposite. “
(Read more: More insurance companies now paying for FM/a fibromyalgia blood test)
It turns out fibromyalgia patients’ immune systems are deficient in two particular cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8, and those two cytokines just happen to be the same ones that rage out of control during severe COVID-19 infections.
COVID-19 antibody rates also appear to be lower in fibromyalgia patients than the general U.S. population (3.7% vs. 5%).
A so-called “cytokine storm” of IL-6, IL-8 and others has been identified as the culprit in severe COVID-19 infections.
“The reason people are likely to have a fatality [from COVID-19] is because their immune system overreacts and overproduces critical cytokine and chemokine proteins, and the lungs literally get flooded by these compounds, and you develop a life-threatening pneumonia as a consequence,” Gillis explains.
“We are learning, interestingly, that having an inability to overproduce these cytokines, which is what fibromyalgia is all about, seems to make you less susceptible to the worst effects of COVID-19,” Gillis continues. “If you have this innate deficiency, you’re less susceptible to COVID-19.”
The study concluded, “Individuals with FM/a test positive fibromyalgia have a reduced ability to produce IL-6 and IL-8, which play significant roles in the cytokine storm complications associated with COVID-19 infections. When screened for evidence of past COVID-19 infections, these patients experienced an extremely low incidence of COVID-19 infections based upon antibody testing, there were no mortalities and the level of morbidity was significantly below what has been reported in general populations.”
Prior to the onslaught of COVID-19 last year, EpicGenetics was planning to conduct a clinical trial using the century-old Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine as a possible treatment for fibromyalgia. Vaccines are typically given to healthy people to prevent infection. In this case, however, the BCG vaccine will be administered to fibromyalgia patients in an effort to quell their symptoms.
Gillis is hopeful the BCG vaccine could provide a cure because it increases the same cytokines and chemokines that are deficient in fibromyalgia patients. The BCG study was delayed in 2019 in order to incorporate the findings of a separate genomics project after University of Illinois researchers found a promising DNA pattern for fibromyalgia.
(Read more: Century-old vaccine gives new hope to fibromyalgia community)
(Read more: Researchers may have found genetic marker for fibromyalgia)
Then, COVID-19 hit U.S. shores in early 2020, and the BCG study was delayed yet again.
“I don’t want to reverse a person’s fibromyalgia [using the BCG vaccine], and by doing so, increase their susceptibility to COVID-19 because fibromyalgia won’t kill you, but COVID-19 potentially could,” Gillis explains.
Due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, EpicGenetics has not yet set a start date for the BCG study.
Patients who test positive for fibromyalgia using the FM/a fibromyalgia blood test qualify to participate in the upcoming BCG study. However, it’s unknown at this time how many medical centers will participate in the trial and where they will be located.
Medicare and many private insurance companies now cover the test. For more information, visit www.FMTest.com.
I’m Donna, a longtime newspaper reporter, health writer and chronic illness thriver! Fed Up with Fatigue provides weekly news, research, treatments and more to help you live better with fibromyalgia and/or Lyme.
This is great news! I never thought Covid would kill me per se, but I was worried about long-term side effects.
I’ve had symptoms for 40+ years too, even though it wasn’t yet diagnosed. I understand! Thanks for responding. Be well!
It is uncommon to have severe symptoms and/or death to the general population anyway.
That’s true but the statistics in the study show that it’s even MORE rare in those of us w/ fibro vs. the general public.
For me being diagnosed almost 20 years ago I was actually excited about getting the Pfizer vaccine. Once I received the 1st shot that was a different story! Within 14 minutes my entire nose was numb along with upper lip, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and high anxiety. Needless to say it didn’t end with that and I’m still having issues with the vaccine since March 11th.
I was in this study. I was quite ill with covid although not hospitalized. Its an interesting hypothesis but I nees more info. I’m not sold yet.
After reading an article about the FM/a test on this site I requested and received the test. My insurance paid for it. The results verified that I have a severe case of Fibromyalgia. I have shared the results with my two physicians. My pain center doctor was very impressed with the findings and stated that it would be a good tool for diagnosing other patients.
I would be willing to undergo the trials for BCG. I get such good information from you and appreciate your deep research which you share with others!
Thank you, Bonnie! I’m glad you’ve found my website helpful. Big hugs to you!
I may say that because of my fibromyalgia, I survive Covid 19 in December 2019 even when I am overweight, with severe respiratory and pulmonary diseases, and high blood pressure.
I am a fibromyalgia patient, overweight, have high blod pressure, respiratory and pulmonary diseases. In noviembre 2019, I took a Cruise traveling from Spain to Puerto Rico. The Cruise line informed some travelers of an E. Coli outbrake in the previous trip which were reported to the CDC and the WHO. In december 8, 2019 we arrive to Puerto Rico and I was sick with strange symtoms that last for 4 months. During that time I consulted seven doctors, but they dont know what was happening with me. I was suffering Covid 19. Then I may say that the Fibromyalgia safe me.
Thank you so much for posting this. I would like to get the blood tests very much. Best
Has anyone looked at how Fibromyalgia patients do with side effects from the Covid-19 vaccines?
I was74 this year in March. I have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, shingles, flu, and pneumonia. Not all at once of course but over the appropriate scheduled time. None of the shots bothered me except the second COVID shot. It kicked my rear! I felt tired and had a headache but just rested, forced fluids and by the third day I was right as rain.
I had side effects. First one month long nausea fatigue aches. On and off fever. 2nd shot felt like symptoms went away. I also had covid last March and was quite ill
There are a few studies out there regarding the effects of the vaccine, Elayne . There doesn’t appear to be any here in the UK where I am, but there are definitely a few US-based ones as I’ve glimpsed them. Anyone should be able to access these wherever they are in the world I would think. Unfortunately I don’t have the name of the one I’ve seen most recently but if you put ‘effects of vaccine on Fibromyalgia’ (or words to that effect) in your search engine, something should come up. 🙂 Sadly, most of the reports I’ve seen seem to be on the negative side and have put me further off of having the vaccine myself. However, the hope contained in this article has been the best thing I’ve seen/heard of for a long while for a long-haul Fibro sufferer like myself (40ish years now!) 🙂