Post-COVID-19 rehabilitation

Abstract

The long-term problems for survivors of SARS-CoV-2 infection are not fully understood;data indicates a complex range of symptoms that initially appeared to focus on the respiratory system but now appear to be multisystem and wide ranging. The most frequently reported symptoms appear to be breathlessness, muscle weakness and fatigue. A proportion of individuals have persistent problems that would be amenable to a rehabilitation programme. The programme needs to have a much wider scope and remit than that of conventional pulmonary rehabilitation but this service model may form the foundation of a holistic programme to support the recovery of these individuals. Data from the SARS/MERS pandemic would support this initial approach. Rehabilitation teams need to collaborate to develop a wider interdisciplinary team to offer the best service to patients with post-COVID-19 symptoms.Copyright © ERS 2021.