The decision to abandon a process to re-evaluate a review recommending exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has reignited calls for the article to be withdrawn. Following outcry, Cochrane then launched a pilot project in October 2019 to take a second look at the review, which involved creating an independent advisory group and a public consultation. But following delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and after Cochrane lost much of its funding in the UK, the publication announced December 16, 2024 it is abandoning the update.
A petition calling for the review to be withdrawn started in September 2023 and has so far attracted more than 14,000 signatures from concerned patients and researchers. An update to the petition posted December 18, 2024 stated: "Sadly, we are not at all surprised by Cochrane’s reneging on their promise of a new updated review while they leave the 2019 review in place. They are clearly influenced by some of their leaders who are well known to support the psychobehavioural view of ME/CFS. No prospect of a new Cochrane review makes removal of the harmful 2019 review even more vital."
