Vienna - The Austrian Ministry of Health has commissioned the Medical University of Vienna to establish a National Reference Center for Postviral Syndromes. The center will advance research into post-viral syndromes and offer training for healthcare professionals. Around one million euros will be made available for this purpose. The new National Reference Center will be headed by Kathryn Hoffmann and Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber.
At the end of November 2023, Health Minister Johannes Rauch announced that the recommendations of the Supreme Health Council (Oberster Sanitätsrat, OSR) on medical care for people with post-viral diseases would be implemented. The central element of the recommendation is the establishment of a national reference center for post-viral syndromes. In recent months, an EU-wide tendering process has been underway to establish the center - especially for long/post-Covid and ME/CFS. The contract was awarded to the Medical University of Vienna.
"This means that we have gained an exceptionally competent contractual partner for the establishment of this center, which has already gained a wealth of experience in this area in the past and can draw on a strong network of experienced experts in the local, national and international field," said Health Minister Johannes Rauch.
MedUni Vienna’s Center for Public Health, Department of Primary Care Medicine, and the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, will play a central role in the reference center. The new facility will be headed by Kathryn Hoffmann and Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber.
As a renowned expert in the field of post-viral diseases, Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber and her team are currently setting up the first Austrian biobank for ME/CFS, which is adapted to the specific needs of patients, in addition to her medical work as a specialist in clinical immunology. The structure is based on international biobanks in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. "It is extremely important for those affected that we in Austria participate in excellent international research in the field of post-infectious diseases. This is the only way we can provide knowledge about urgently needed new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches as quickly as possible," says Eva Untermayr-Elsenhuber.
Kathryn Hoffmann is Head of the Department of Primary Care Medicine at the Center for Public Health, a doctor and public health scientist. She is the Austrian representative at the European General Practice Research Network, author of numerous scientific publications and book chapters and head of scientific studies on the research areas of post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS), health services research and eHealth. "Transdisciplinary collaboration between doctors and other health and social professions is particularly important when it comes to post-acute infection syndromes, both in teaching and further training as well as in research and treatment of those affected," emphasizes Kathryn Hoffmann.
Healthcare research and raising awareness among healthcare professionals
In particular, the reference center will promote healthcare research and training of the healthcare staff involved in post-viral syndromes. Through the already established cooperation with the various medical disciplines and the different healthcare professions, the reference center will be a central hub for the necessary translational and multi-professional care of patients. The aim is to achieve a comprehensive exchange of knowledge for practice. The regular organization of training courses and symposia for healthcare professionals and the development and dissemination of literature reviews and guidelines for patient treatment are an essential part of the tasks. The establishment of an interdisciplinary, telephone or web-based consultation hour for questions on post-viral syndromes will provide further support for healthcare professionals providing treatment. The reference center will also play an important role in driving forward the necessary research activities on PAIS and ME/CFS at national and international level.
The coronavirus pandemic has given additional importance to post-viral syndromes such as Long COVID and ME/CFS. In Austria, it is estimated that up to 80,000 people are affected by ME/CFS alone. Due to the lack of a clear biomarker, the path to a correct diagnosis is still lengthy. Disease patterns and treatment options vary greatly. Different medical disciplines often have to work together to care for those affected.
