First German model station for severely affected children and young people

The first model station for severely affected children and young people in Munich is co-funded by the ME/CFS Research Foundation

The Post-COVID Kids Bavaria 2.0 research project at the Rechts der Isar Clinic at the Technical University of Munich (MRI TUM) started in September 2023 . The project is led by Prof. Dr. Uta Behrends, head of the Munich Chronic Fatigue Center (MCFC) for young people  at the Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine in Munich-Schwabing and   funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care with € 1.23 million.

The Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine is a collaboration between MRI TUM and the Munich Clinic (MüK) gGmbH. The German ME/CFS Research Foundation is one of the private co-financers of this broad effort. With our contribution, we promote and enable the realization of the following sub-projects in particular:

• the establishment of a  model ward (clinic)  for the comprehensive care of seriously ill young children, adolescents and young adults with post-COVID syndrome, post-VAC syndrome and ME/CFS
• the piloting of pilot-controlled, telemedicine and  outreach treatment modules  for those most severely affected
• the identification and  evaluation of potential biomarkers  for precision diagnostics

Blind spot in research and care

People with severe ME/CFS have rarely been specifically included in biomedical research because they are generally not able to attend normal outpatient consultations. Home visits for those most severely affected are not yet sufficiently established and are very time-consuming and costly. There are therefore hardly any study results from basic or clinical research on this group of patients, especially not on children and adolescents.

This largely “blind spot” in research as well as the targeted care of young people with post-COVID-ME/CFS is now being addressed for the first time in Germany with the help of a specialized, interdisciplinary model ward as well as telemedicine and outreach care services. In the project team, specialists with different specializations, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social educators, nursing staff and scientists work closely together and adapt the clinical and scientific approach individually to the symptoms and resilience of the young people those affected.

Prof. Uta Behrends: “ We are very happy and grateful that with this project and many partners we can focus on various important aspects of care and research into severe post-COVID, post-VAC and ME/CFS in young people .  The model station offers an innovative, specialized contact point that we would like to have for all German federal states.

With our various care formats, further education and training offers, and the involvement of the public health service, we want to optimally meet the needs of severely and severely affected children, adolescents and young adults. A holistic approach is important to us, which appropriately takes into account not only medical but also psychosocial aspects, such as training and social participation. We also expect the project to provide important impetus for biomedical research. “

Source: ME/CFS Research Foundation, where you can read also more about this clinic and its goals

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