The organization of proper care for children with long Covid is in a critical phase. Although specialized long Covid clinics for children are set to open in 2025, there is uncertainty about the availability of funding necessary to scientifically assess promising treatments.
Concerns have arisen that patients may not receive the expected care, as reported by NOS. This month, political disputes in the Dutch parliament led coalition parties to block an amendment allocating €21 million for research into treatments for severe long Covid symptoms.
These treatments aim to help exhausted children return to normal activities such as playing, sports, and attending school. Due to ongoing political wrangling over various budgets, a majority in parliament decided against providing financial resources for this research, drawing criticism from the medical community for missing a crucial opportunity to offer care to the majority of patients within a few years.
Out of 40,000 children with long Covid, only a few hundred can currently be accommodated in clinics. Professor Niels Eijkelkamp from the UMC Utrecht emphasizes the importance of scientific evaluation in clinics to determine the efficacy and safety of treatments, which could then be incorporated into medical guidelines.
This would allow pediatricians outside of clinics to treat many more children within a few years. However, the Dutch Parliament has complicated this necessary step for scaling up.
Other funding requests for similar research are still in process, but these involve less money than what could have been provided via the amendment. This financial uncertainty is causing stress among parents and patient organizations such as PostCovidNL, Long Covid Netherlands, and Children with LongCovid.
The delay exacerbates the social and societal setbacks for children, many of whom have been ill for three years or more. While there are no exact numbers on how many children are out of school, the RIVM and research institute Nivel have partially mapped the social impact of long Covid on young people.
Among 12- to 25-year-olds, 56% feel moderately to severely limited, with about two-thirds attending limited or no education. Researchers estimate that thousands of young people are severely affected.
Professor Michel Dückers from the research team highlights a lack of data on primary school children with long Covid, calling for better investigation into the severity and scope of the issue. Without more knowledge on effective treatments, Dückers sees a bleak future for children needing continuous care, which could have lifelong effects on their ability to work and economic consequences for society.
Experts criticize The Hague for not addressing future costs, as short-term cuts dominate discussions. Professor Anske van der Bom of the Post-Covid Network Netherlands stresses the urgency of laying a solid foundation for long Covid care, noting that funding for other research will run out by 2028.
Director Diewke de Haen of PostCovidNL underscores the importance of incorporating scientifically researched long Covid treatments into medical guidelines for insurance coverage, which is vital for the financial sustainability of clinics. Past closures of long Covid clinics due to a lack of reimbursement highlight this necessity.
Despite assurances from involved doctors, patient organizations remain skeptical of their promises, emphasizing the need for scientific validation to ensure widespread implementation of treatment methods.
Source: NOS