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Long-COVID in children and adolescents: MHH tests multicenter training concept for patients, relatives, caregivers and school staff.
Long-COVID diagnosis: not only adults are affected, but also tens of thousands of children and adolescents in Germany. The exact number is only estimated. To improve care for families, a team led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) is testing a new multi-center training concept. It is part of the nationwide joint project PEDNET-LC and is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Health with around 450,000 euros over a period of four years.
Sometimes severe symptoms
People with Long COVID suffer from various symptoms such as pain, stomach and intestinal problems and heart-related complaints. Very often, those affected also struggle with chronic exhaustion, also known as fatigue. In around half of those affected, this state of exhaustion fulfills the diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which can occur as a result of viral diseases. Some children and adolescents are so severely restricted by Long COVID that they are unable to lead a normal everyday life. “Adequate treatment of this patient group is often difficult because, on the one hand, the symptoms are so varied and, on the other, the cause of their severe manifestation in Long COVID is unknown,” explains Dr. Gundula Ernst from the Medical Psychology Research and Teaching Unit. Under her leadership, the new multi-center training concept is now being tested, which is intended to impart specialist knowledge and promote mutual exchange. It is aimed at several target groups and is intended to help improve medical care for the young people affected and their families. The training courses are usually held online.
Offers for families
There are various training courses available for the families concerned. One group course is aimed specifically at parents and another specifically at children. An individual course is intended for young people who are unable to take part in a group. “In addition to basic knowledge about Long COVID and ME/CFS, the topics covered include pacing, i.e. assessing and managing your own strength, self-reflection and relaxation techniques,” explains PD Dr. Ernst. The training courses for parents also focus on social law issues, homeschooling options and emotional relief for relatives.
Professionals become qualified
Another training course is aimed at health care professionals from the PEDNET-LC joint project. These are specialists from the fields of medicine, psychology, physiotherapy, social pedagogy and other treatment areas. They are to be trained in all aspects of Long-COVID. In addition to basic knowledge, the program includes diagnostics and treatment options. Some professionals also take part in a train-the-trainer course, which prepares them to pass on the knowledge they have acquired to affected families.
Training courses for school staff
The third target group is school staff. This includes teachers, but also other professionals such as school social workers. School staff are also given basic knowledge about Long COVID. Alternatives to traditional face-to-face teaching are also discussed. This is because some children and young people are so severely affected by Long COVID or ME/CFS that they can only come to school for a few hours or not at all.
“The strength of the training concept lies above all in the opportunity for mutual exchange,” says PD Dr. Ernst. “It is particularly important for the young people affected and their relatives to come into contact with other families in a similar situation.” The qualified psychologist hopes that the scientific project will become a permanent care offer.
The training concept is called “Strong together: A training course for children and adolescents with post-viral diseases including ME/CFS and their parents”. The abbreviation PEDNET-LC stands for “Pediatric network for the care and research of post-acute consequences of COVID-19, similar post-acute infection and vaccination syndromes and ME/CFS in children and adolescents”. The project is led by the Clinic and Polyclinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Technical University of Munich. A total of 38 healthcare institutions are involved in the PEDNET-LC network. The Federal Ministry of Health is funding the PEDNET-LC project with a total of around 41 million euros.
SERVICE
A symbolic image and the PEDNET-LC logo can be found here.
Image caption Symbolic image: Long-COVID remains an issue even years after the pandemic: The training concept is intended to help improve the care of young people affected
Copyright PEDNET-LC logo: TU Munich
For further information, please contact Dr. Gundula Ernst Phone 0511 532-4436, ernst.gundula@mh-hannover.de.
: Long-COVID remains an issue even years after the pandemic: The training concept is intended to hel ...
TU München
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: Long-COVID remains an issue even years after the pandemic: The training concept is intended to hel ...
TU München
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