Effective rehabilitation after corona

COVID-19 is a new disease that mainly affects the respiratory tract. Approximately 80% of patients develop little to no complaints, but the remaining 20% become seriously ill. Symptoms that may occur include: dry cough, shortness of breath, sneezing and fever.

Part of this group must ultimately be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where they must be ventilated and run the risk of permanent damage to the lung tissue. Inflammations can develop that cause scar tissue on the lungs. Patients who have been in the ICU for a long time may experience physical, cognitive and psychological complaints after discharge from the ICU, also known as Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).

Common complaints you may experience with PICS

• Decreased lung function
• Reduced fitness/endurance
• Decreased muscle strength
• Joint pain and/or stiffness
• Fatigue
• Cognitive disorders (memory loss, concentration problems and planning)
• Mental problems (anxiety, stress and depression)

The role of the physiotherapist after corona

If you have developed complaints due to the coronavirus or have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (IC) as a result of the coronavirus, it is important to recuperate together with a specialized physiotherapist.

Rehabilitation for COVID-19 looks like this: If you are still in self-isolation at home, therapy can be started by means of a telephone appointment or video call appointment. It is recommended that you contact your physiotherapist within two weeks of being discharged from hospital. During the first consultation, we will look together at the limitations you currently experience in your daily functioning. We will make a plan with you to slowly rebuild daily activities. Patients with PICS in particular will have a very low load-bearing capacity at the start of rehabilitation. We will continue to monitor this at all times and adjust it to your load-bearing capacity.

Our colleague Chantal participated in a training for the rehabilitation of Corona patients. She is now a specialized Corona pulmonary rehabilitation therapist.