Medical advisor Alfons Olde Loohuis responds to patient reactions
Patients are disappointed with the FMS guideline Long (long-term) COVID. Medical advisor Alfons Olde Loohuis does not find this completely incomprehensible.
“Let me start by saying that this guideline is an important first step. There is recognition of this post-infectious condition, which is very important. Secondly, various professional groups have worked together to come up with initial advice on treatment. That cooperation is also important. It is necessary in practice. But the group of people with long-term, serious complaints in particular will not find sufficient support in it. We are still far from there.”
When asked why not, Olde Loohuis says: “When this guideline was written, there was still limited knowledge. That knowledge is increasing through national and international research. We must therefore maintain the guideline based on new scientific insights. Research takes a lot of time, so this guideline is dynamic and will have to be subject to changes in the coming years. Two important topics that C-support is strongly committed to: more research, and in particular more biomedical research, and immediately sharing that knowledge with the field. The implementation of new insights and new guidelines is essential. This also fits in with the advice of the Health Council.”
