Three years after the outbreak of the pandemic, the corona disease is still a mystery to doctors, especially the sometimes serious long-term consequences. A reason for the state government to provide financial support for research in the north-east.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) – Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania supports research on the long-term consequences of corona diseases. As Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) announced on Thursday in Schwerin, the university clinics in Greifswald and Rostock will receive around 2.5 million euros for the treatment of seriously ill people and research into the course of the disease. The Long Covid Institute in Rostock, which was founded at the beginning of October and is headed by the renowned lung specialist Jördis Frommhold, will receive a further 350,000 euros. “We are using the funds to advance important research on Long Covid and enable care for all sick people regardless of their health insurance. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is thus taking on a pioneering role nationwide,” explained Drese.
The funds provided come from the multi-billion-dollar MV protection fund, which was set up in response to the corona pandemic. On Wednesday evening, the state parliament approved the inclusion of the research projects in the funding list.
According to Dreses, those affected will continue to find specialized contact points in the country in the future. With state funding, the existing outpatient clinics at the university clinics could be expanded for a limited period of time. That means more staff and more diagnostic procedures. The treating physicians could also conduct research into detection and healing options.
Long Covid is a complex and serious disease. Drese referred to studies according to which at least four percent of people are affected by Post or Long Covid after a corona infection. The disease is often accompanied by significant limitations. The aim of the projects is to develop suitable therapies that could be incorporated into standard care.
On the occasion of the founding of the Long Covid Institute in Rostock, which is unique in Germany, Frommhold warned to continue taking the disease seriously and to give yourself time to recover if the tests are positive. “These people have a viral disease that needs to be cured and not smothered with work,” she said.
According to estimates, three million people in Germany are affected by Long Covid – i.e. long-term consequences after infection with the corona virus. Long Covid can lead to disability if left untreated. Frommhold is President of the new Long Covid Medical Association and has treated more than 5,500 Long Covid patients in her capacity as chief physician at a clinic specializing in lung diseases.
