Rationale

The Long-CoViD condition represents a considerable public health and social impact issue owing to the increasing number of new Coronavirus 19 disease (CoViD-19) cases. In fact, increasing evidence show that CoViD-19 patients could develop persistent symptoms three months after the Sars-CoV-2 acute infection. There is a need to gain knowledge and standardize approach to treatment of Long-CoViD, to guarantee a strong stakeholders cohesion, to collect local experiences and to promote the use of common languages and tools in responding and contrasting the current pandemic.

In 2021, the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the Italian Ministry of Health funded the project “Analysis and strategies of response to the long-term effects of CoViD-19 infection (Long-CoViD)” coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). The project is coordinated by Graziano Onder.

The project involves Italian Regions (Tuscany, Apulia and Friuli), Clinical networks (Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Aging, Cardiological IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare) networks) and the Catholic University of sacred Heart.

Aims of the project are to define the dimensions of Long-CoViD condition, to map number, characteristics and distribution Long-CoViD care centers in Italy, to define the best practices, to set up a Long-CoViD surveillance system, to structure a national clinical network.