No, 100%, you're totally right. By no means is this super scientific, nor should it be seen as representative of the general ME/CFS community. I'm hoping people take it for what it is. I mean, I think most people here get that.
"92.3% of us..." just referencing "us" as in, those that answered the Poll.
For EBV, active viral infection info in my last post. You can find the same info online.
I think you should redo the calculations and figure out how to add in the fact that people don't know they have an active EBV infection. That's what this poll was about. I believe the numbers are WAY higher than 16%. BUT, again that's not what this thread is about. I did this to demonstrate that it's a prominent virus and that people don't test for it enough, and that the test results are difficult to interpret.
Ok, but that is a really roundabout way. So many possibilities for error.
The UK study is 1998. I can't imagine that could still hold relevance.
I never had mono symptoms. I think many w/ re-activated EBV would never have been involved in a mono study. Those that got EBV at whatever age, were asymptomatic, and later on it got re-activated triggering CFS. I think there's a decent chunk of ME/CFS that fit what I'm referring to here. And the calculations you mention would not include them at all.
"
About 90 percent of people are infected at some time in their lives with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)"
It has less to do w/ people that have or had mono symptoms, and more to do with 1) active EBV infection and 2) active EBV infection that triggers to genes that induce CFS symptoms.
The way you're calculating seems super difficult. Maybe impossible. What I'd do is take all the most recent EBV/CFS studies and average them all together for a closer look at EBV involvement in ME/CFS.
Btw, I believe my enterovirus caused EBV reactivation. And then that EBV reactivation caused CFS symptoms for me.
At this moment, the #2 choice in the poll has been chosen the most. Which means EBV RE-activation. This includes me. And I guarantee you, out of the (6) of us that put that answer, most of us will not recall having mono ever in our lives.
Btw, where's your vote mr hip?