COVID-19 Postacute Sequela Rehabilitation: A Look to the Future Through the Lens of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. 2022 Jun;4(2):100185. doi: 10.1016/j.arrct.2022.100185. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

Abstract

Post-COVID-19 condition is characterized by a myriad of persistent symptoms experienced up to 60 days after the acute infection, not only in those hospitalized, but also in patients with mild to moderate acute symptoms. The overwhelming evidence on multisystem involvement in post-COVID-19 condition brings to attention the need for integrated delivery models to address health care needs of this population. The World Health Organization recently highlighted critical gaps in adequately providing the level of integrative care required to address the multisystem needs of this population in current health care delivery models and recommended development of new innovative models of delivery. This article presents a novel approach to addressing these gaps from a rehabilitation perspective.

Keywords: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CORF, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility; COVID-19; Delivery of health care, integrated; PR, pulmonary rehabilitation; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Rehabilitation; Telerehabilitation.