[REHABILITATION FOR POST-COVID-19 PATIENTS IN HADASSAH DURING 2020-2022]

The COVID-19 pandemic has long-lasting deleterious effects on many aspects of the survivors' life. However, the correlations between the severity of COVID-19 infection and rehabilitation outcomes are still unknown.

Sixty-one post-acute COVID-19 patients underwent a customized rehabilitation program in a rehabilitation daycare facility. The severity of the COVID-19 infection was measured according to the WHO clinical progression scale (CPS). Motor, cognitive, psychological and functional variables were measured using standard and specified scales; 19 out of 61 patients underwent nerve conduction studies.

The mean age of participants was 54 years (range 18-84 years), 66% were males, 65% had severe disease according to CPS. The mean length of acute hospitalization was 5.6 ± 4.2 weeks, mean rehabilitation time and mean follow up time was 3.2 ± 2.1 months and 7.2 ± 3.2 months, respectively. A significant improvement was found in activities of daily living (ADL) functions as well as in hand motor strength and walking endurance. A significant correlation was found between higher CPS, prolonged acute hospitalization and ventilation and lower admission functional independence measure (FIM), however no correlation was found between the parameters of acute diseases and FIM at discharge. Moreover, lower CPS was correlated with higher anxiety, depression and lower executive functions score. There was correlation between electrophysiological findings of the median and the peroneal nerves and the motor FIM at discharge.

A customized rehabilitation program can overcome initial motor, mental and cognitive impairments and significantly improves the motor function of covid-19 recovered patients. The results of this study highlight the importance of monitoring and treating the emotional status, particularly anxiety, of COVID-19 patients. Nerve conduction measurements in COVID-19 patients are important in order to evaluate prognosis and improvement in rehabilitation outcomes.