On November 1st, the first post-COVID clinical centers of expertise opened at Amsterdam UMC, Maastricht UMC+, and Erasmus MC, with more academic medical centers to follow in the Netherlands. Referrals to these centers will be made by general practitioners. At the post-COVID centers, doctors will diagnose post-COVID and evaluate whether existing medications can help diminish patients’ most common symptoms. In combination with the recently secured €6.5 Million in ZonMw grants for Post-COVID research by members of the Amsterdam institute for Immunology and Infectious diseases, AI&I and Amsterdam UMC are positioned as a leader in post-COVID research and treatment.
The centers focus on using currently available medications to address prevalent post-COVID complaints. While the syndrome’s root cause remains unclear, recovery is not yet achievable, but doctors are determined to provide relief, says Amsterdam institute for Immunology and Infectious diseases physician-researcher Brent Appelman, who helped, together with many others, establish the Amsterdam UMC center.
Minister Agema Opens First Post-COVID Expertise Centers in the Netherlands
On Wednesday, November 6, Minister Agema of Health, Welfare, and Sport officially opened the Netherlands' first three post-COVID expertise centers at Amsterdam UMC. Minister Agema highlighted the importance of these specialized centers, stating, "I am pleased that we are now able to provide this targeted approach across multiple locations in the Netherlands. I hope this will soon lead to effective treatments for post-COVID patients, allowing them to regain their lives with the right professional support and guidance."
Patient selection
The post-COVID centers were established after significant advocacy from patient organizations, with €27 million in funding allocated earlier this year. Patients were also involved in the organizational process, with frequent consultations between all parties in recent months. This collaboration led to a unified treatment strategy for all centers.
The post-COVID centers are not designed to treat every patient but to gather and disseminate insights and successful practices to primary and secondary care providers. Initially, the three centers will accommodate approximately 1,000 patients, representing a cross-section of all those referred by their general practitioner. Some criteria apply for the referral: patients must have experienced symptoms for at least a year, and general practitioners must confirm that another condition does not cause these symptoms.
Doctors aim to include a diverse patient population, with varying severity and types of complaints, to better understand effective treatments. An expert team comprising different specialists and general practitioners will meet regularly to determine whether treatments tested at the centers should be included in official guidelines.
Exploring new medications
In addition to focusing on existing treatments, researchers focus on new medications outside of the post-COVID centers. Prof. Dr. Joost Wiersinga and Brent Appelman have received a grant from ZonMw to investigate a treatment that could improve cellular energy function. This research project follows their recent findings regarding post-COVID patients who suffer worsening symptoms even with minimal exertion. The Amsterdam researchers discovered that the energy centers in these patients’ muscles functions poorly. With this research they seek to find new ways to reduce the severe fatigue that many post-COVID patients experience.
This article is a revised version of an article originally published in Dutch on de Volkskrant written by Ellen de Visser. Access the original piece here.
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