According to a recent report, an estimated 757,000 people suffered from Long Covid in Germany by the end of 2025. In addition to this, approximately 657,000 people were diagnosed with ME/CFS. This severe chronic illness often develops following a viral infection and can affect a segment of individuals who initially suffered from Long Covid.
Researchers from Germany and Australia, specifically the ME/CFS Research Foundation and the company Risklayer, compiled this report, which was the subject of a report by Der Spiegel. The study projects that the combined societal cost attributable to both illnesses in 2025 reached approximately 64.4 billion euros.
These researchers had previously provided figures detailing the costs for the years 2020 through 2024. For 2025, the projected costs show an increase of roughly 1.3 billion euros compared to the previous year. Jörg Heydecke from the ME/CFS Research Foundation stated, “This problem will not disappear by itself”.
ME/CFS can severely impede adults from working or children from attending school. In cases of severe illness progression, affected individuals may be bedridden, sometimes losing the ability to speak or feed themselves. They are also extremely sensitive to various stimuli, including light and sound.
In mid-November 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research launched the “National Decade Against Post-Infectious Diseases”. This initiative aims to promote the research of such conditions and potential therapies through a budget of 500 million euros between 2026 and 2035.
Heydecke emphasized the need for greater public awareness regarding the urgency of the situation. He argued that “biomedical research, including the development of medication and therapies, is the only way out of this crisis, both socially and for all affected individuals”. He concluded by warning that “the less and later we invest, the longer it will take-and the more it will cost”.