MEDIAN invites you to the first virtual International Symposium on Long Covid

• Renowned doctors and scientists from the USA, China, the United Kingdom and Germany will report on their research results
• Online conference on the 12th October allows a wide range of experts and affected people to take part for free

Leading international researchers and physicians studying and treating the long-term effects of Covid-19 will be attending MEDIAN's first virtual International Symposium on Long Covid on the 12^th of October, between 3pm and 6pm UK time. The event, which will be held in English, is aimed at healthcare professionals as well as sufferers.

"Millions of people around the world suffer from the long-term effects of Covid-19," says Dr André M. Schmidt, MEDIAN Group CEO / CEO Priory Group. "We want to promote dialogue between patients, doctors and scientists in order to make decisive progress together in combating this insidious disease. We invite all interested parties to attend the symposium and join us in our initiative to fight and treat it."

Speakers at the event, which will bring together knowledge and insights from research and medicine, include:

• Prof Hangming Dong - Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
• Dr Peter Wright - Oxford Brookes University, UK
• Dr Stan Windsor - Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
• Dr Per Otto Schüller - MEDIAN, Germany
• Dr Panagis Galiatsatos - Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA

The event will take place online, and can be accessed at www.long-covid.de/events. Participants will be able to take part via the chat function. Registration for the free conference is recommended but not required. Registered participants will receive further information, the complete programme, current news and an automatic entry and link for their Outlook calendar. The conference organisation office at MEDIAN can be reached via e-mail at longcovid@median-kliniken.de.

How MEDIAN is fighting Long Covid

Long Covid Syndrome includes a number of long-term effects of Covid-19 ranging from shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, memory impairment and depression to anxiety and pain. As Germany's largest provider of rehabilitation services and now Europe's leading player in the field of Long Covid rehabilitation, MEDIAN has already taken various initiatives. In May 2021 it created the Medical Board Long Covid, an expert committee of MEDIAN head physicians who compile knowledge on the long-term consequences and optimise rehabilitation treatment. The doctors combine findings from the specialist clinics for pneumology, orthopaedics, neurology, internal medicine, cardiology and psychosomatics. Data from Great Britain, where MEDIAN is in the process of integrating the Priory Group, is also being incorporated.

MEDIAN has also developed long-covid.de. This website publishes information on the long-term consequences of the disease, and makes MEDIAN's knowledge available to all doctors, clinics, therapists and patients in order to improve treatment throughout Germany. In addition, this July MEDIAN launched a nationwide self-help group for Long Covid sufferers. This group promotes the exchange of information between those affected and their relatives, and thus supports the estimated 370,000 Long Covid sufferers in Germany.

Treatment concepts developed at an early stage

From an early stage, MEDIAN clinics were involved in the management of the pandemic, and developed four concepts for post-corona rehabilitation, pneumological, interdisciplinary, psychosomatic and addiction post-corona rehabilitation. These are offered in all MEDIAN clinics with the corresponding speciality. In all cases, the treatment approach takes into account the comprehensive somatic, neurological and psychological as well as social impairments of those affected. The experience gained has been incorporated into the development of a special Long Covid rehab concept, which emphasises the interdisciplinary and individual treatment approach.

About MEDIAN

The MEDIAN Group of Companies runs some of the best rehabilitation clinics in Germany, with outstanding competence in rehabilitation and participation. In 2019/2020, around a third of them were able to position themselves in top rankings for the third time, gaining 28 top places in the audits by the German Pension Insurance, 16 awards in the F.A.Z. 2020 ranking and 36 winning places among the best rehabilitation clinics in 2021 by FOCUS, as well as numerous regional awards. Well-known MEDIAN head physicians are listed as Germany's top physicians by FOCUS. With around 120 clinics and facilities, 18,500 beds and treatment places and approx. 15,000 employees in 13 federal states, MEDIAN is the largest private operator of rehabilitation facilities in Germany.

MEDIAN is in the process of integrating with the Priory Group, the UK's leading independent provider of rehabilitation and mental health services, currently with around 4,800 beds and 21,500 employees. More than 30,000 patients/service users are helped each year at more than 320 facilities nationwide.