Trump admin's attacks on chronic disease research abandons long COVID and ME/CFS patients... Again

Salon - Apr 1st, 2025
Open on Salon

The Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, a critical hub for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) research, faces closure after losing federal grants. This development follows the Trump administration's decision to cut $250 million in funding to Columbia, citing the university's inaction regarding harassment of Jewish students. Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, who has led research on ME/CFS for over two decades, warns that patients with these chronic illnesses are losing a vital source of hope and potential treatment due to the funding termination.

The funding cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending, impacting long COVID research and related programs. Despite commitments to support chronic illness research, recent decisions contradict these promises, raising concerns about the future of ME/CFS and long COVID studies. Advocacy groups and researchers emphasize the setback's severity, as ME/CFS affects 1.3% of the U.S. population, and long COVID cases continue to rise. The cuts threaten to halt progress in understanding these conditions, which are often outcomes of pandemics and epidemics.

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RATING

5.8
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides a compelling narrative about the impact of funding cuts on ME/CFS and long COVID research, highlighting the challenges faced by researchers and patients. It effectively raises awareness about the importance of sustained investment in health research, making it relevant to current public health discussions. However, the article's accuracy could be improved with more thorough verification of specific claims and a balanced representation of perspectives.

The article's strength lies in its ability to engage readers with personal stories and its focus on timely and significant public interest topics. The clarity and readability of the article are commendable, making complex issues accessible to a broad audience. However, the lack of diverse sources and transparency in the reporting process slightly undermines its credibility.

Overall, the article serves as a valuable contribution to the discourse on public health funding, but it would benefit from more comprehensive sourcing and a balanced exploration of different viewpoints to enhance its impact and reliability.

RATING DETAILS

6
Accuracy

The article presents several factual claims about funding cuts and their impact on ME/CFS and long COVID research. While the narrative aligns with known actions of the Trump administration regarding budget cuts, the specifics, such as the exact amount of funding cut and the reasons behind it, need further verification. For instance, the article claims that $250 million in grants were cut due to Columbia University's alleged inaction regarding harassment issues, which is a serious allegation requiring corroboration. Additionally, the article mentions the dismantling of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, which needs confirmation from official sources. The general claims about the prevalence of ME/CFS and long COVID are consistent with existing data, but the precise figures and their implications should be cross-verified with recent studies.

5
Balance

The article primarily presents the viewpoint of researchers and advocates affected by the funding cuts, providing a detailed account of their challenges. However, it lacks a balanced representation of perspectives from the Trump administration or other government officials who might justify the cuts as necessary for budgetary reasons. The absence of these viewpoints creates an imbalance, as the narrative leans heavily towards the negative impact of the cuts without exploring potential counterarguments or justifications from the administration's perspective.

7
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, making it easy for readers to follow the main narrative about the impact of funding cuts on ME/CFS and long COVID research. The language is accessible, and the article logically progresses from discussing the funding cuts to their broader implications. However, some sections could benefit from clearer explanations, particularly when discussing the specific reasons behind the funding cuts and the administrative decisions involved.

6
Source quality

The article references several credible sources, such as Dr. W. Ian Lipkin and Jaime Seltzer, who are directly involved in the research field. However, it relies heavily on statements from affected researchers and advocates without providing direct quotes or responses from government officials or independent experts who could offer a broader context. The reliance on a single publication, Salon, without corroborating information from other news outlets or official statements, slightly weakens the source diversity and reliability.

5
Transparency

The article provides some context about the funding cuts and their impact on research but lacks transparency in terms of methodology and the basis for some claims. For example, the article does not clearly explain how the funding figures were obtained or verified. Additionally, the article does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest or biases that could influence the reporting. More transparency regarding the sources of information and the verification process would enhance the article's credibility.

Sources

  1. https://www.salon.com/2025/04/01/admins-on-chronic-disease-research-abandons-long-and-mecfs-patients-again/
  2. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/trump-administration-axes-covid-funding-state-community-health-departments
  3. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge-fact-sheet.html