Managing the Rehabilitation Wave: Rehabilitation Services for COVID-19 Survivors

Kim, Soo Y.; Kumble, Sowmya; Patel, Bhavesh; Pruski, April D.; Azola, Alba; Tatini, Anisa L.; Nadendla, Kavita; Richards, Laryssa; Keszler, Mary S.; Kott, Margaret; Friedman, Michael; Friedlander, Tracy; Silver, Kenneth; Hoyer, Erik H.; Celnik, Pablo; Lavezza, Annette; González-Fernández, Marlís

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the provision of medical care. As the curve progresses and patients are discharged the rehabilitation wave brings a high number of post-acute COVID-19 patients suffering from physical, mental, and cognitive impairments threatening their return to normal life. The complexity and severity of disease in patients recovering from severe COVID-19 infection require an approach that is implemented as early in the recovery phase as possible, in a concerted and systematic way. To address the rehabilitation wave, we describe a spectrum of interventions that start in the ICU and continue through all the appropriate levels of care. This approach requires organized rehabilitation teams including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, rehabilitation psychologists/neuropsychologists, and physiatrists collaborating with acute medical teams. Here, we also discuss administrative factors that influence the provision of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The services that can be provided are described in detail to allow the reader to understand what services may be appropriate locally. We have been learning and adapting real-time during this crisis and hope that sharing our experience facilitates the work of others as the pandemic evolves. It is our goal to help reduce the potentially long-lasting challenges faced by COVID-19 survivors.