How you can help
You can help more than you might think. That is true in your family and among friends, at work, in medical practices and in public offices.
How do you know the person affected?
What almost always helps
Some people have PEM: even minor exertion can make their symptoms worse, often not until hours or days later. Overexertion can then make the illness chronic and more severe.
- Believe the person when they say they don’t have enough energy.
- Ask specifically: “What would help you today?”
- Accept last-minute cancellations without blaming the person.
- Offer help: shopping, cooking, sorting out paperwork or going along to appointments.
- Respect breaks and limits without putting the person under pressure.
Sources: D-A-CH consensus statement on ME/CFS, 2024, Long Covid Switzerland flyer “Long COVID: understanding in order to support”, 2026
The fight to be believed
Many people with Long COVID or ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome) have to fight to be believed. This fight costs energy they are already short of. If you believe the person, they don’t have to justify themselves to you.
“The feeling of not being taken seriously is – apart from the unbearable symptoms – the worst thing about the illness.”
Sources: Long Covid Switzerland survey, 2022, Swiss study on ME/CFS, 2023
What to say instead
- Instead of“But you look well.”Better“I believe you, even if it doesn’t show.”
- Instead of“Just move more.”Better“You know your limits best.”
- Instead of“I’m often tired too.”Better“That sounds like much more than tiredness.”
- Instead of“Isn’t it just stress?”Better“I take your symptoms seriously.”
Stay by the person’s side, even when many things no longer work the way they used to.