Follow-Up of Respiratory Infections in Schleswig-Holstein (FRISH)

Project description

The Follow-Up of Respiratory Infections in Schleswig-Holstein (FRISH) study is a large population study to compare the long-term consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection with the long-term consequences of other common infectious diseases that have long been known. In the adult area, it builds on the ongoing COVIDOM study on the long-term consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study centers are the two locations of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) in Kiel and Luebeck.

As a result of an infection with Sars-CoV-2, complex post-infectious health restrictions can occur, which are summarized under the term Long/Post-COVID. The clinical picture is diverse and ranges from mild limitations in physical resilience to severe neurological problems. In extreme case ME/CFS can occur. The clinical picture can be observed not only in adults, but also in children and especially adolescents. It is still unclear whether this is a separate clinical picture based on specific characteristics of a SARS-CoV-2 infection or whether it is part of other post-infectious conditions that were already known before COVID-19.

So far, patients with post-COVID conditions in studies in Germany have been compared with healthy control groups. In the FRISH study, the investigators would therefore like to compare patients affected by post-COVID with patients with other respiratory infections, which could enable a better classification of COVID-19 within this group. The inverstigators also want to examine children and adolescents, as post-COVID syndrome can occur in all age groups.

At least 6 to about 12 months after the influenza infection, adult patients participating in the FRISH study will undergo a detailed examination of many organ systems to evaluate possible secondary diseases. This includes, among other things, neurological testing, a detailed measurement of your lung function, an olfactory and taste test, and, in selected patients, an ultrasound examination of the heart (echocardiography). Participants are also asked to fill out a questionnaire with various health questions during the on-site visit. In addition, the inverstigators will take a blood sample and ask for further biological samples, including saliva and urine samples. Children and adolescents (ages 6 and over) will undergo a telephone interview using standardized questionnaires, conducted 6 months at the earliest and 12 months at the latest after the SARS-CoV2, Influenza virus or Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

(Description adapted from project website: see link above)