At the beginning of July, wheelchairs with pictures and names of those affected by Long-Covid, ME/CFS and Post-Vac complaints stand in front of the Reichstag building. Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa
What doctors have been busy for a long time is now reaching the pension insurance system. Post-Covid, i.e. complaints more than three months after a corona infection, makes people unable to work.
According to a report, the German pension insurance approved 1000 disability pensions for those affected by post-Covid in 2022. A total of 1,088 reductions in earning capacity in connection with Covid-19 were approved for the first time last year, reported the “Rheinische Post”, citing a spokeswoman for the pension insurance company. 1000 of them were approved because of Post-Covid. In 2021, there were 89 disability pensions in connection with corona infections, 13 of them due to post-Covid conditions.
Long-Covid refers to symptoms, some of which are severe, that persist after an acute phase of the disease of four weeks or then reappear. Post-Covid describes the clinical picture more than twelve weeks after a corona infection. At the end of last year, almost 335,000 people in medical practices were being treated with Post-Covid, according to the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physician Care (Zi) according to billing data.
General practitioners: Relieve relatives too
The German General Practitioners Association calls for more relief offers for those affected by long-term consequences. Many are dependent on the support of relatives in order to be able to cope with their daily life, said Deputy Federal Chairwoman Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth of the “Rheinische Post”. “We therefore consider the promotion of health care in the home environment as well as the strengthening of support offers that relieve the sick and their relatives directly in their everyday life to be important measures.”
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach promised more support for people with long-term disabilities on Wednesday. He presented a long-Covid program that includes an information portal and 40 million euros in research funding. His ministry has activated the website www.bmg-longcovid.de for information and offers of help. Lauterbach had originally announced 100 million euros in funds. This amount could not be enforced due to the budget situation.
Kim Björn Becker Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 14 Sabrina Schmidt and Joachim Müller-Jung Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 10 Christian Geinitz, Berlin Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 4
Lauterbach invited international experts and those affected to a round table on Long-Covid in September. Symptoms, consequences and possible therapies should be discussed there.