The COVRIIN+ expert group develops concepts for clinical management in exceptional biological situations. The focus: emergency and intensive medical treatment of infectious or contaminated patients. Within this framework, COVRIIN+ provides recommendations and offers rapid ad-hoc consultation in crisis situations.

COVRIIN+ makes its expert knowledge available to the professional community and the relevant federal and state institutions in the form of position statements, action algorithms, and informational materials.

Interdisciplinary expertise

The COVRIIN+ expert group brings together specialists from intensive care medicine, infectious diseases, emergency medicine, trauma surgery, and pediatrics.

Key focus areas of the expert group

1) Practical guidance on the management of exceptional diseases in emergency and intensive care medicine:

Insights from practice for practice – the COVRIIN+ expert group provides overviews of potential therapeutics for the treatment of infectious or contaminated patients. It is specifically aimed at medical professionals in emergency and intensive care medicine, including physicians, nurses, and other specialists directly involved in treating patients with exceptional diseases. Furthermore, the expert group supports the development of concepts to improve treatment quality and efficiency.
For more details, see Guidance on therapy and clinical management.

2) Consultation on strategic patient transfers:

The COVRIIN+ expert group advises federal states and hospitals on questions regarding the strategic transfer of patients to and from Germany according to the so-called “Kleeblatt concept.” Additionally, COVRIIN+ is currently providing expert consultation on the transfer of patients from Ukraine, utilizing the trauma network of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU) and specific networks in pediatrics and oncology.
For more details, see Strategic patient transfer.

3) Telemedical support:

The COVRIIN+ expert group advises and supports intensive care units in Germany and internationally in the treatment of complex critically ill patients through telemedical connections to Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
For more details, see Telemedical support.

Background

Under the coordination of ZBS 7.1 at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Intensive Care, Infectious Diseases, and Emergency Medicine Expert Group (COVRIIN) was established during the COVID-19 pandemic. It gained recognition, particularly for its COVID-19 therapy recommendations, and was expanded with additional experts from pediatrics and trauma surgery to form COVRIIN+.

In addition to the COVRIIN+ expert group, there is the Permanent Working Group of Competence and Treatment Centers for Diseases Caused by Highly Pathogenic Pathogens (STAKOB). STAKOB is an infectious disease expert network for the management and care of patients with diseases caused by highly pathogenic pathogens.
For more information on STAKOB, visit: https://www.rki.de/stakob-en