How Should the Rehabilitation Community Prepare for 2019-nCoV?

Gerald Choon-Huat Koh; Helen Hoenig

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2020.03.003

How Should the Rehabilitation Community Prepare for 2019-nCoV?

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2020 Jun;101(6):1068-1071. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.03.003. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Authors

Gerald Choon-Huat Koh¹, Helen Hoenig²

Affiliations

¹ Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Electronic address: gerald_koh@nuhs.edu.sg.
² Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC.

Abstract

With the novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) pandemic spreading quickly in the United States and the world, it is urgent that the rehabilitation community quickly understands the epidemiology of the virus and what we can and must do to face this microbial adversary at the early stages of this likely long global pandemic. The 2019-nCoV is a novel virus so most of the world's population does not have prior immunity to it. It is more infectious and fatal than seasonal influenza, and definitive treatment and a vaccine are months away. Our arsenal against it is currently mainly social distancing and infection control measures.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; COVID-19; Distancing; Epidemiology; Infection control; Rehabilitation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Communication
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control
Humans
Infection Control
Pandemics / prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control
Rehabilitation / methods*
Rehabilitation / organization & administration*
Risk Factors
SARS-CoV-2