Information for patients about Centre of Excellence in Infections and Microbes

The Centre of Excellence in a nutshell

• Infectious diseases are a prevalent group of diseases that cause morbidity.
• Infectious diseases can be prevented and treated if the pathogen is known.
• In Finland, about 1.5–2 million prescriptions for antibiotics are made every year.
• Vaccines play an important part in preventing epidemics. In Finland, more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.
• Regardless of the patient’s place of treatment, the prevention of healthcare-associated infections is necessary.
• Rapid diagnoses have been important during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Turku, coronavirus detection tests were in use in January 2020, prior to the beginning of the pandemic.

The prevention of infectious diseases requires determined work, research, education and diverse expertise both in laboratories and in clinical work.