Post Acute Infection Syndromes Interdisciplinary Care Berlin (PAIS Care Berlin)

Project description

According to estimates, there are currently 200.000 people in Berlin living with post-acute infection syndrome (PAIS) - diseases that occur after the acute phase of an infection. The Post Acute Infection Syndromes Interdisciplinary Care Berlin (PAIS Care Berlin) project is investigating how these patients can be provided with comprehensive medical care from the very beginning. The focus lies on a structured diagnostic and therapeutic concept that is linked to the existing infrastructure for interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral PAIS care in Berlin. The basis for this are the already established networks of the Charité Fatigue Center, the Charité Post-COVID Network and the Long-COVID Network of the Berlin Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians.

The project aims to close a gap in care that affects people with post-COVID syndrome (PCS, colloquially known as long COVID), but also those who have become ill after other infections. PCS is when three months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, health complaints persist that last for at least two months and cannot be explained otherwise - for example, severe, persistent weakness and exhaustion, also known as fatigue. Other symptoms include circulatory and respiratory problems, headaches, difficulty concentrating and memory problems. According to a recent review, around five percent of the population is affected by PCS. One of the most severe forms of long COVID is ME/CFS, which in the worst case can leave those affected dependent on care. Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) can also lead to severe limitations. These diseases can also occur after various other infections and were already increasingly observed before the COVID pandemic. Triggers include viral flu or infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

As part of the PAIS Care Berlin project, interdisciplinary care structures are being tested and evaluated. A structured care programme is intended to provide early and comprehensive care to people who remain persistently ill after an infection. Factors associated with recovery as well as slow recovery or chronicity are also to be identified. General practitioners' practices play a central role in the project because they are often the first point of contact for those affected, and where the diagnosis is made and therapeutic measures initiated. Severe or complex cases can be referred promptly to the six participating university outpatient clinics. The involvement of patient organisations and self-help groups is also an important part of the new care concept.

The aim is to create scientifically sound, needs-based care services by making existing structures, especially outpatient care, better structured and more efficient and - where necessary - creating new services. The results of PAIS Care Berlin are intended to improve the care of all those affected. Participation in the study will be possible from May 2025. Patients who have persistent symptoms such as fatigue and reduced performance for more than four weeks after an infection and would like to take part in the study should contact one of the general practitioners' practices participating in the project. Further information about the project and contact details can be found on the website of the Post-Covid Network or the Charité Fatigue Center. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) with around 10 million euros.

(Description adapted from project website: see link above)