[Post-acute infection syndromes: time for recognition, understanding, and targeted care]

Post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS) are conditions characterized by persistent symptoms following an infectious disease. Although these syndromes share similarities in symptom burden and impact on daily functioning, they vary significantly in aetiology, clinical course, and treatment options. Postcovid is currently the most recognized example, but the phenomenon is not new: prolonged symptoms have also been observed after infections with Epstein-Barr virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Coxiella burnetii, poliovirus, and after sepsis. The increasing attention to PAIS raises key questions in clinical practice: When do residual symptoms constitute a distinct syndrome? What do we know about underlying mechanisms and treatment strategies? How can we adequately diagnose and support patients? And what role does the biopsychosocial model play in understanding and managing these complaints? In this Discussion article, we review recent scientific findings and offer a perspective on these discussion points, with the aim of improving recognition, insight, and patient-centred care in PAIS.