It is becoming increasingly clear that some corona patients continue to struggle with all kinds of health problems for weeks, sometimes months after they have apparently recovered. Long covid this phenomenon is called, and according to Longfonds Nederland this has now become an independent long-term, possibly chronic condition. Reason for researchers at Erasmus MC to follow people with long-term complaints after corona for years to learn more about this ‘new’ disease. The researchers work together with C-support, the national expertise center that supports lung covid patients.
The persistent complaints after COVID-19 show a wide range of symptoms. Fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches, palpitations or forgetfulness are often mentioned, as are permanent loss of smell and taste. The complaints can be quite disabling and have a major impact on the quality of life. Some are unable or barely able to resume their work for months.
Definition
At the end of last year, the World Health Organization WHO drew up a definition of what constitutes lung covid (referred to by the WHO as ‘Post-COVID-19’). Literally, it reads as follows: “Post-COVID-19 disease occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection. Usually 3 months after the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. Common symptoms are fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, but it also concerns other complaints that have an impact on daily functioning. Symptoms can either reappear after initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist after the acute phase. Symptoms can also fluctuate or diminish over time.”
The researchers in Rotterdam want to get a good picture of the nature and impact of lung covid and to inventory what kind of care the patients have received. Because lung covid is a new disease, there is no standard of treatment yet. And since there are no ‘lung covid specialists’ or clinics, people are treated by all kinds of health care providers, from general practitioners to psychologists and from physiotherapists to specialists. These treatments are not always well coordinated.
Basic package
In addition, various authorities still lack knowledge about long covid and how to deal with it. This applies, for example, to benefit providers, but also to the UWV and financial service providers. The health insurance does cover the costs of paramedical recovery care for long covid for the time being. Initially, the scheme to reimburse healthcare costs from the basic package was to end in August 2021, but an extension until August 2022 has been agreed.
Patients who have long-term complaints can register on the C-support website since October 2020. The nearly 10,000 people who have done so to date will receive an invitation to participate in the study from 11 February. For that research, the participants have to fill in questionnaires at different times in order to map the course of their lung covid.
More information
Visit the C-support website. People with long covid can register via the site.
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