Pandemic…Covid19…Coronavirus!!!! I am sure you a tired of hearing these phrases repeating in the news, on adverts and even on the radio. Unfortunately, we cannot deny the immense impact this disease has already had and still has on our lives today.
Brief overview:
Covid-19 is an illness caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This virus is just one of the corona virus family. It is named for the year it first appeared -2019. This virus consists of a core of genetic material surrounded by an envelope with protein spikes. When magnified under an electron microscope, the virus looks like it is wearing a spiky crown, hence the name “Corona” meaning “crown” in Latin¹.
This virus has infected more than 1 million people in South Africa. The severity of the symptoms of Covid-19 is broad, ranging from a small proportion of people with severe, life threatening clinical disease requiring intensive medical care and hospitalization to less severe symptoms that can be treated without medication. Most people who test positive for the virus will in fact have either no symptoms or very mild ones.
Covid-19 can affect multiple body systems including cardiac, pulmonary, hematologic, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal systems. ² with this wide range of disease expression and severity, Covid-19 presents a different challenge for each individual returning back to his/her normal activity of daily life. It is important to realise that there is no “one-size-fits-all” acute treatment for this disease, nor is there a single best way to make an optimal recovery after your acute sickness is over. Many people will take a significantly long period of time to get back to their normal healthy state. This extended period of recovery is sometimes called “Post COVID syndrome”, or even “Long COVID”
Your Physiotherapist can be of great help with your post COVID rehabilitation. A recent study done in Italy found that many patients who had Covid-19 disease still present with some symptoms even 2 months after onset of the disease³. The symptoms are as follows:
- Fatigue
- Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
- Joint pain
- Chest pain
These symptoms can have a debilitating effect on your life and should not be left untreated. This process begins when your physio treats you in hospital, and continues with your treatment as an out-patient when you are discharged. Even those patients who did not need acute hospital admission, but still suffer the effects of Post COVID syndrome will benefit from consulting a physiotherapist.
Your Physio will help with the following
- Respiratory assessment (saturation level monitoring and peak-flow)
- Respiratory rehabilitation and respiratory muscle re-training
- Weaning of oxygen therapy (if using oxygen)
- Exercise capacity testing
- Return to activity readiness and advice
- Muscle strength testing after a long period of bed rest
- Exercise conditioning and strengthening programs
- Treatment of musculoskeletal conditions post Covid-19 (ongoing muscle and joint pains)
We are here to help you get back to your normal activities of daily living!!! Take the next step to a healthier you.
For more information contact Luke and Barker Physiotherapy and make an appointment today.
Written by: Mar-lezé Vos (Physiotherapist)
References:
1. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), Physiopedia, viewed 14 February 2021
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Coronavirus_Disease_(COVID-19)
2. Metzl, JD, McElheny, K, Robinson, JN, Scott, DA, Sutton, KM & Toresdahl, BD 2020, ‘Considerations for Return to Exercise Following Mild-to-ModerateCOVID-19 in the Recreational Athlete’, The Musculoskeletal Journal of Hospital for Special Surgery
3. Carfi, A, Bernabei, R & Landi, F 2020, ‘Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19’, The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol.6, pp.603-605