Premium
Rethinking Hospital‐Associated Disability for Patients With COVID‐19
Author(s) -
Martinez Maylyn S,
Robinson Marla R,
Arora Vineet M
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of hospital medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.128
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1553-5606
pISSN - 1553-5592
DOI - 10.12788/jhm.3504
Subject(s) - medicine , hospital medicine , covid-19 , university hospital , center (category theory) , family medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , chemistry , disease , crystallography
Between February 1 and July 1, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 killed over 120,000 people in the United States alone. Nearly 80% of deaths occurred in those 65 years and older; by contrast, this age group constituted only 65% of deaths from influenza during the same time period.1 Though the reasons for these differences have not been completely elucidated, one thing is abundantly clear: Our nation’s oldest and most frail have been among the most likely to die of COVID-19. With an estimated mortality rate of 4.7% in the United States, we are fortunate that most infected patients survive2,3; however, many survivors require an exceptionally long hospital stay in isolation. Hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19 are distinct and confer a high risk for hospital-associated disability (HAD). HAD, defined as a new loss of ability to complete one or more activities of daily living (ADLs) without assistance after hospital discharge, occurs in approximately one-third of all hospitalized patients.4 In this perspective, we explore why HAD might be worse in patients with COVID-19 and offer new models for delivery of physical and occupational therapy to help them with functional recovery during and after hospitalization.