Management and Rehabilitation of COVID-19: A Physiotherapist Perspective

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new coronavirus that emerged in 2019 and causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many people experiencing ongoing health effects following COVID-19 infection manage their condition independently at home while acutely infected without a health professional’s aid. The number of patients who need post-COVID syndrome management, focusing on recovery and rehabilitation, is likely to grow as COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise. Per the WHO, as of February 2021, 107 million people were affected, with 59.8 million recoveries across the world, and in UAE, 3,32,603 cases have been reported, with 3,13,060 recoveries.

Purpose: The current paper highlights the importance of physiotherapy rehabilitation service for patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting, including screening to determine indications for physiotherapy, respiratory physiotherapy, exercise interventions, and postdischarge period.

Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted. The electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus were searched using a combination of keywords and included randomized trials, recommendations, quasi-randomized or prospective controlled clinical trials, reports, guidelines, and letters to the editor.

Results: Based on the current research and guidelines given by the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and Physiotherapy Associations in various countries, a detailed physiotherapy assessment and management for patients in different stages of COVID-19 is presented.

Conclusion: We conclude that early physiotherapy rehabilitation should be started to avoid post-COVID complications and improve patients’ quality of life.