COVID-19 and spinal cord injury and disease: results of an international survey

Abstract

Study design An online survey.Objectives To query the international spinal cord medicine community's engagement with and response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to assess pandemic-specific information needs and patient concerns. Setting An international collaboration of authors and participants. Methods Two near-identical surveys (one English and one Spanish language) were distributed via the internet. Responses from those questions shared between the surveys were pooled then analyzed; four questions' responses (those not shared) were analyzed separately.Results A total of 783 responses were submitted from six continents. Few participants (5.8%) had tested their outpatients with SCI/D for COVID-19; only 4.4% reported having a patient with SCI/D with the virus. Of respondents who worked at an inpatient facility, 53.3% reported that only individuals with symptoms were being screened and 29.9% said that no screening was occurring. Participants relayed several concerns offered by their patients with SCI/D, including vulnerability to infection (76.9%) and fragility of caretaker supply (42%), and those living in countries with guaranteed health care were more likely to report widespread availability of COVID-19 testing than were those living in countries without universal care, χ 2 (3, N = 625) = 46.259, p < 0.001. Conclusion There is substantial variability in the rehabilitation medicine community in COVID-19 screening practices and availability of screening kits. People living with SCI/D are expressing legitimate and real concerns about their vulnerability to COVID-19. More and rapid work is needed to address these concerns and to standardize best-practice protocols throughout the rehabilitation community. 1234567890();,:1234567890();,:

COVID-19: Screening and triage challenges in people with disability due to Spinal Cord Injury

“…In an international survey of health care professionals (n = 783) who care for individuals with SCI, 10.3% reported their patients with COVID-19 had increased spasticity, 6.9% reported that their patients had rigors, and 6.9% reported that their patients had been asymptomatic. This early report warrants special consideration during triage of people with SCI for suspected COVID-19 [9].…”

Clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a cohort of patients with disability due to spinal cord injury

“…As Covid-19 is a novel viral respiratory infection, its epidemiology and clinical course among people with SCI are yet unknown. However, recently the first survey has been published which addresses COVID-19-related practices and adaptations among health care professionals working with individuals with SCI [11]. So far, only one case of Covid-19 infection with SCI has been reported [12].…”

The Functional Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review

“…Health services should also support patient and family health literacy by providing pandemic information in age appropriate forms, multiple languages and diverse formats (67,82). The need to increase education and health literacy speci cally about Covid-19 in the community is a current priority (83,84).…”