Sweden - Government announcements about Long Covid, 2023

[mango]

Moved from News from Scandinavia

Pressträff med socialministern och sjukvårdsministern om regeringsuppdrag relaterade till postcovid
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmedd...m-regeringsuppdrag-relaterade-till-postcovid/

Press conference with the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Health on the government's mission related to postcovid.

Published 19 April 2023

Tomorrow, Thursday 20 April, Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed and Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson will hold a press conference on government assignments to strengthen and disseminate knowledge about the diagnosis, care and rehabilitation of people affected by post-covid and other post-infectious conditions.

 

[rvallee]

Honestly, every time I keep seeing rehabilitation feels just as ominous as the word holistic, it pretty much guarantees incompetence*. It's such a mindless obsession, as if all you have to do is just want to treat people, and they will be magically treated. Just like that, like magic!

It helps me keep expectations in the sub-basement level.

* There are exceptions, but you could fit those people in an average sized room.

 

[mango]

Pressträff med socialministern och sjukvårdsministern om regeringsuppdrag relaterade till postcovid
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmedd...m-regeringsuppdrag-relaterade-till-postcovid/

Press conference with the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Health on the government's mission related to postcovid.

1. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to produce national clinical knowledge support (ie a guideline) for diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation.

2) SBU/The Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services is commissioned to produce a compilation of research (ie an evidence review).

3. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to investigate the conditions/possibilities for a national knowledge centre.

Watch a recording of the press conference:

Pressträff med socialministern och sjukvårdsministern om regeringsuppdrag relaterade till postcovid
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmedd...m-regeringsuppdrag-relaterade-till-postcovid/

...or on YouTube:

Read the press release:

Uppdrag för stärkt kunskap om postcovid
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2023/04/uppdrag-for-starkt-kunskap-om-postcovid/

Google Translate, English

Blog post by @MittEremltage:

Tre regeringsuppdrag om postcovid och andra postinfektiösa sjukdomar
https://mitteremitage.wordpress.com...postcovid-och-andra-postinfektiosa-sjukdomar/

All commissions are for both post-covid and other post-infectious diseases, and the National Board of Health and Welfare and SBU must collaborate in these assignments together with researchers, various professions, regions [the local governments responsibe for healthcare etc], municipalities and patient representatives. In addition, other actors' knowledge needs to be utilised, such as WHO and European specialist bodies. The work is expected to take just over a year.

The ministers talk about the importance of utilising existing knowledge, although it is unclear whether this also includes knowledge that existed about post-infectious diseases even before the start of the pandemic. Nor do they define what they mean by other post-infectious diseases.

What this mean in concrete terms and whether, for example, people who contracted ME before the pandemic or for other reasons than remains to be seen. Who will be given the task of developing support and conducting investigations will be crucial to the direction this will take in the future. So let's hope for wise choices from the authorities so we don't get people with a biopsychosocial focus involved in this.

The Swedish Covid Association has tweeted about the press conference, saying they are happy to see that the government has decided to act on three (out of four) suggestions from the assocation's proposal for a national action plan.

ETA:

News article in Dagens Medicin: Kunskapen om postcovid ska höjas
https://www.dagensmedicin.se/specialistomraden/infektion/kunskapen-om-postcovid-ska-hojas/

News article in the Journal of the Swedish Medical Association: Regeringen vill utreda nationellt kunskapscenter kring postcovid
https://lakartidningen.se/aktuellt/...ll-ha-nationellt-kunskapscenter-om-postcovid/

 

[mango]

Press conference with the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Health on the government's mission related to postcovid.

Some news articles:

Regeringen presenterar satsning för postcovid
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/regeringen-presenterar-satsning-for-postcovid

Regeringens initiativ om postcovid: ”Fler aktörer måste jobba med frågan”
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/re...postcovid-fler-aktorer-maste-jobba-med-fragan

Professorns oro: Vissa patienter tycks inte bli friska
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/vissa-patienter-med-postcovid-blir-inte-friska

Professor's concern: Some patients don't seem to recover

There are signs that some post-covid patients do not recover, even though it has been several years since they became ill.

"In a number of cases they don't get better and that makes me really worried," says Kristian Borg, professor of rehabilitation medicine and chief physician at Danderyd Hospital.

The post-covid clinic at Karolinska University Hospital has also noticed that some patients do not seem to get better.

 

[rvallee]

Some news articles:

Regeringen presenterar satsning för postcovid
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/regeringen-presenterar-satsning-for-postcovid

Regeringens initiativ om postcovid: ”Fler aktörer måste jobba med frågan”
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/re...postcovid-fler-aktorer-maste-jobba-med-fragan

Professorns oro: Vissa patienter tycks inte bli friska
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/vissa-patienter-med-postcovid-blir-inte-friska

Wow, that highly-paid professional is really showing his expert skills, noticing something that's been so obvious for 2.5 years that millions have been screaming it, especially the people who have been ill for years, which apparently this dude never noticed before. Has he tried rehabilitating them? I hard it's basically like magic, in that you have to believe in it to pretend it's any credible.

Gotta love experts with their eye on the ball:

 

[mango]

Wow, that highly-paid professional is really showing his expert skills, noticing something that's been so obvious for 2.5 years that millions have been screaming it, especially the people who have been ill for years, which apparently this dude never noticed before. Has he tried rehabilitating them? I hard it's basically like magic, in that you have to believe in it to pretend it's any credible.

Gotta love experts with their eye on the ball:

Yes

@MittEremltage too has commented on this on her blog:

En bisarr och farlig naivitet! ("A bizarre and dangerous naivety!")
https://mitteremitage.wordpress.com/2023/04/22/en-bisarr-och-farlig-naivitet/

 

[mango]

Press conference with the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Health on the government's mission related to postcovid.

1. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to produce national clinical knowledge support (ie a guideline) for diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation.

2) SBU/The Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services is commissioned to produce a compilation of research (ie an evidence review).

3. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to investigate the conditions/possibilities for a national knowledge centre.

A formal question by a Swedish MP (riksdagsledamot) to the Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed:

"Do the Minister and the Government intend to include ME/CFS in the recent post-Covid missions?"

Nationellt center för postcovid och ME/CFS
Skriftlig fråga 2022/23:623 av Karin Rågsjö (V)
https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokumen...onellt-center-for-postcovid-och-mecfs_HA11623

National centre for post-covid and ME/CFS

Written question 2022/23:623 by Karin Rågsjö (V)
to the Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed (KD)

The Government has recently commissioned the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Swedish Agency for Health and Social Evaluation (SBU) to develop a national knowledge support centre and compile knowledge for post-covid and other post-infectious conditions. The Left Party welcomes the initiative after having repeatedly proposed similar measures, most recently in our budget motion for 2023.

More specifically, the Left Party has highlighted the need for a national knowledge centre that should focus on coordinating support for those affected by post-covid and, through close contacts with regions [ie the local governments responsible for healthcare etc] and other relevant actors, develop clear action plans, knowledge support and working methods.

In a similar way, the Left Party has also emphasised the need for increased knowledge about ME/CFS. Today, ME/CFS is internationally classified as a neurological disease in which the body's immunological, endocrine and neurological systems are affected. The disease is characterised by persistent or recurrent fatigue and a general feeling of illness. Research has no clear answer as to why some people are affected by the disease, but many of those who have fallen ill have done so in connection with some form of infection. The Left Party believes that more knowledge about the diseases needs to be added to the healthcare system. It is extremely important that the treatments and measures implemented are based on evidence and research in the field.

A national centre for post-covid and ME/CFS should therefore be established. A special effort is required to nationally coordinate and centralise knowledge of the treatment and diagnosis of post-covid and ME/CFS in order to help those affected.

In view of this, I would like to ask Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed:

Do the Minister and the Government intend to include ME/CFS in the recent post-Covid missions?

 

[mango]

Press conference with the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Health on the government's mission related to postcovid.

1. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to produce national clinical knowledge support (ie a guideline) for diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation.

2) SBU/The Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services is commissioned to produce a compilation of research (ie an evidence review).

3. The National Board of Health and Welfare is commissioned to investigate the conditions/possibilities for a national knowledge centre.

Some more facts available now, published by the government and SBU:

Uppdrag att ta fram ett nationellt kunskapsstöd för postcovid och andra postinfektiösa tillstånd
https://www.regeringen.se/regerings...postcovid-och-andra-postinfektiosa-tillstand/

Uppdrag att sammanställa kunskap om postcovid och andra postinfektiösa tillstånd
https://www.regeringen.se/regerings...postcovid-och-andra-postinfektiosa-tillstand/

SBU får nytt uppdrag om postcovid
https://www.sbu.se/sv/om-sbu/sbu-far-nytt-uppdrag-om-postcovid/

ME is mentioned:

In the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare's assignment to develop support for the health care system regarding patients with long-term symptoms after undergoing COVID-19 infection (S2021/01100), the authority notes that the symptom picture for post-covid patients is similar to other post-infectious syndromes such as severe influenza, sepsis, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), post-intensive care syndrome, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS/PANDAS) and others.

Patients affected by post-infectious conditions often have a complex symptom picture that may require multi-professional interventions.

The state of knowledge is continuously evolving and in order to provide these patient groups with a comprehensive assessment, a comprehensive national knowledge support is needed. The support requires knowledge compilations regarding the identification, treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up of patients with post-covid and other post-infectious conditions in order to create conditions for equal, individualized and accessible care throughout the country.

Many thanks to @MittEremltage for a very informative blog post

Mer information om regeringsuppdragen om postcovid
https://mitteremitage.wordpress.com/2023/05/09/mer-information-om-regeringsuppdragen-om-postcovid/

 

[mango]

A formal question by a Swedish MP (riksdagsledamot) to the Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed:

"Do the Minister and the Government intend to include ME/CFS in the recent post-Covid missions?"

Nationellt center för postcovid och ME/CFS
Skriftlig fråga 2022/23:623 av Karin Rågsjö (V)
https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokumen...onellt-center-for-postcovid-och-mecfs_HA11623

A reply (nonanswer) has been posted:

In a previous assignment, the National Board of Health and Welfare noted that the symptoms of post-covid patients are similar to other post-infectious syndromes such as severe influenza, sepsis, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), post-intensive care syndrome, paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS/PANDAS) and others. Government reports show that more knowledge and a greater consensus on the disease ME/CFS is needed.

SBU has been commissioned to carry out a compilation of knowledge [evidence review] in the field of post-covid and other post-infectious conditions. This assignment also includes identifying the need for further scientific knowledge in the area. In addition, the National Board of Health and Welfare has been tasked with developing national knowledge support for post-covid and other post-infectious conditions. It is up to the authorities to decide what should be included in post-infectious conditions.

Stockholm, 10 May 2023

Acko Ankarberg Johansson

 

[rvallee]

I don't know where else to post this, but it's hard to imagine that this thinking will not influence the government's denial of LC.

I'm legitimately trying to imagine a computer security expert advising people to not only uninstall their antivirus, but to actually make it a fun challenge to plug in any USB key they find. And I just can't. There is simply no credible comparable example of this in any other profession. You might as well try to find a chemist who will invite you to breathe any fume you come across, could be fun.

It's mind-boggling how much is being revealed through the pandemic, how there is just as much nonsense and gullible beliefs in this profession as in the rest of society.

This is not a parody. Not satire. Where do you even begin to address this? They can't reasonably be that completely ignorant of history? It seems like such weird defiance.

 

[mango]

I don't know where else to post this, but it's hard to imagine that this thinking will not influence the government's denial of LC.

I'm legitimately trying to imagine a computer security expert advising people to not only uninstall their antivirus, but to actually make it a fun challenge to plug in any USB key they find. And I just can't. There is simply no credible comparable example of this in any other profession. You might as well try to find a chemist who will invite you to breathe any fume you come across, could be fun.

It's mind-boggling how much is being revealed through the pandemic, how there is just as much nonsense and gullible beliefs in this profession as in the rest of society.


This is not a parody. Not satire. Where do you even begin to address this? They can't reasonably be that completely ignorant of history? It seems like such weird defiance.

Links to the orginal source/opinion piece:

Henrik Widegren: ”Ta två Alvedon och gå till jobbet”
https://www.dagensmedicin.se/opinion/gastkronika/ta-tva-alvedon-och-ga-till-jobbet/

Gå till jobbet förkyld – hosta på en kollega
https://www.expressen.se/debatt/ga-till-jobbet-forkyld-hosta-pa-en-kollega/

 

[mango]

Opinion piece by a politician/MP (riksdagsledamot).

Patienter med ME/CFS får inte den vård som de förtjänar
https://www.altinget.se/vard/artikel/patienter-med-mecfs-faar-inte-den-vaard-som-de-fortjanar

Google Translate, English

Patients with ME/CFS are not getting the care they deserve

In 2018, I proposed that the government should investigate how we can establish a national centre of excellence [for ME/CFS] [...].

The competence centre should have the task of ensuring that knowledge levels are high within the [healthcare systems] and that they have the knowledge required to meet the patient group. The Government has now commissioned the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Swedish Agency for Health and Welfare Evaluation (SBU) to develop national knowledge support and compile knowledge for post-covid and other post-infectious conditions [...].

The Left Party believes that more knowledge about the diseases needs to be added to the healthcare system. It is important that the treatments and measures implemented are based on evidence and research in the field.

We therefore want to establish a national centre for both post-covid and ME/CFS. A special effort is required to nationally coordinate and centralise knowledge about treatment and diagnostics of post-covid and ME/CFS to help those affected.

Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson has replied to a direct question that it is up to the National Board of Health and Welfare to decide whether post-infectious conditions other than post-covid should be included in the national knowledge support. This is a worrying answer; the design of the centres and knowledge support that are being built up requires political accountability. The Left Party sees it as a matter of course that ME/CFS should also be included in the recent assignments for post-covid.