There will be more money available for Long Covid research in the next few years. After ARD information The SPD, Greens and FDP agreed on this in the reconciliation meeting on the draft budget.
How does Long Covid occur and how can it be treated? Because not enough is known about it, it should be better researched. The government wants to make more than 180 million euros available for this in the coming years. According to information from ARD capital studios The SPD, Greens and FDP are planning surprisingly more money for Long Covid research in the budget. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had originally planned 100 million euros.
Model projects for children and young people
According to the discussions in the Bundestag, the draft budget includes around 52 million euros for model projects to provide care for affected children and young people. The sum will be divided over a longer period until 2028. It is also about better researching the disease Long Covid and finding suitable therapies. A total of around 81 million euros in the health budget and 51.5 million euros in the research budget are planned for the next few years.
The Green politician Paula Piechotta negotiated the health budget and her party colleague Bruno Hönel negotiated the research budget in the budget: Both emphasize that the funds strengthen research on diseases such as post-Covid, which are not yet fully understood. The ministries of research and health would now have to coordinate so that the money flows into “high-quality projects”.
Many affected people are waiting for help
Long Covid can have many symptoms: chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches and nerve pain or shortness of breath. According to an evaluation by the AOK Scientific Institute, one percent of insured people were affected by post-Covid illness by the end of 2022. On average, they were on sick leave for more than a month. According to the World Health Organization, one in 30 people in Europe is suffering from Long Covid; in Germany that would be 2.5 million people affected.
Federal Health Minister Lauterbach also believes the research is so important because Corona can cause other illnesses: There is a higher risk of dementia, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. The consequences of Covid will continue to concern the health system for a long time.
The additional money could encourage those affected. Because the waiting lists for the few specialized Long Covid centers are long. The goal now is to gather more knowledge in order to better treat those affected and to strengthen the care offerings. After the MPs completed the draft budget overnight, they want to finally pass it next week.