Suggested post-discharge rehabilitation locations
On discharge from acute care, coordinated rehabilitation care for
COVID-19 survivors with PICS should continue at primary health care
centers, rehabilitation homes, or home-based
rehabilitation40. It is thus paramount that healthcare
professionals working in these outfits are trained to identify
ICU-related morbidities and make informed decisions on
care50. As disease transmission remains a concern,
rehabilitation professionals should also be trained on the use of safety
equipment and infection control practices to ensure safe provision of
care51.
At the primary health care center, multidisciplinary efforts to
recognize and ameliorate impairments in body functions and structures,
activity limitations, and participation restrictions will improve
patient outcomes and quality of life for people who have received
intensive care9. Thus, COVID-19 survivors would
arguably benefit from such care. As most primary healthcare centers in
Africa may have limited rehabilitation
professionals52, we advocate that survivors be also
discharged to other facilities with rehabilitation professionals such as
rehabilitation homes, home-based rehabilitation and rehabilitation in
outpatient settings53. As such, efforts by concerned
authorities in improving the functionality of government-owned
rehabilitation outfits, which are relatively more affordable, are
recommended. This will possibly reduce the healthcare burden on the
ICUs in most African hospitals. Also, considering the need to limit the
risk of infection transmission, rehabilitating survivors at home using
tele-health approaches, becomes a viable alternative to traditional face
to face rehabilitation51,54.