Protest while lying down: ME/CFS sufferers want to be visible

Affected people and relatives in Saxony have used demonstrations while lying down to draw attention to the serious illness ME/CFS and the possible long-term consequences of coronavirus infections. The protests on the market square in Leipzig and the Neumarkt in Dresden were well attended, as reporters from the German Press Agency observed. The participants' signs read "1% energy, 100% human" and "I want my life back! Research for ME/CFS now!"

Initiative with nationwide actions

The demonstrations were part of a nationwide initiative supported by former Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) as patron. To mark International Awareness Day on May 12, the initiative had called for more than 40 actions throughout Germany. The demands include greater funding for ME/CFS research and nationwide care in specialized competence centers that care for patients.

According to estimates, more than half a million people are affected

ME/CFS sufferers feel permanently exhausted and can suffer from many other symptoms such as severe pain. The long-lasting disease was most recently reported as a result of Covid-19, but can also occur after other infections. However, the number of people affected is said to have risen sharply as a result of the pandemic. According to the initiative, more than 600,000 people in Germany now have ME/CFS.