A seminar meeting on new challenges of COVID-19 and post-COVID syndrome for Karaganda region medical workers was held on March 30, 2023 at Karaganda Medical University for physicians of Karaganda and Karaganda region.

It was attended by representatives Ministry of Health of the RK, Karaganda Region Department of Health and professorial-teaching staff of Karaganda Medical University.

Opening remarks to the participants were made by Azamat Dyusenov, Director of the Department for Organization of Medical Care of the MH RK, and Yermek Turgunov, Vice-rector for Scientific and Clinical Work of NCJSC "KMU". Bakhyt Kosherova, chief freelance infectious disease specialist of MH RK, doctor of medical sciences, and professor of NCJSC "Astana Medical University" devoted her presentation to the condition after COVID-19 (post-COVID syndrome) in adults.

As noted, practitioners today have many questions about post-COVID syndrome, namely, how to diagnose it, at what stage, how to manage patients?

Post-COVID syndrome includes a wide range of multisystem symptoms (physical or mental), which may be related to residual inflammation (convalescent phase); organ damage; nonspecific effects of hospitalization or prolonged ventilation (syndrome after intensive care); and social isolation.

Speaking about COVID-19 and immunity, Bakhyt Nurgalievna noted that the virus adapted gradually in the population. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was more often an asymptomatic course of the disease. People with weakened immunity (people with risk factors) were more often affected. Later on, individuals with rapid progression of the infectious process with volumetric lung damage began to be registered. Cytokine storm developed not only in young people, but also in the elderly with severe intoxication and fever up to 39-40 C. Today, there are many children among those who contracted COVID-19, whose course of the disease is similar to that of adults, and sometimes quite severe.

In the second part of the seminar, professors of Karaganda Medical University spoke to the doctors about post-COVID syndrome in COVID-associated endocrine cardiovascular diseases, post-COVID syndrome and mental health, post-COVID syndrome and nutritional support (V. Molotov-Luchanskiy - doctor of medicine, Endocrinologist, Professor of Internal Medicine Department of NCJSC "KMU"; D.Taizhanova - doctor of medicine, Cardiologist, Professor of Internal Medicine Department of NCJSC "KMU"; L. Matsievskaya - doctor of medicine, Candidate of medical sciences, gastroenterologist, Professor, Head of Internal Medicine Department of NCJSC “KMU”; E. Laryushina - doctor of medicine, Doctor of Psychiatry, Associated Professor of NCJSC “KMU” Department of Neurology, Psychiatry and Rehabilitation.)

A clinical protocol has been developed for post-COVID syndrome in the RK, which was updated on January 30, 2023 due to the emergence of new evidence-based data.