Up to 2.2 million people experiencing disability suffer collateral damage each day of COVID-19 lockdown in Europe

Abstract

usl umbria2, foligno, perugia, italy; 10 president, European union of Medical specialists -physical and rehabilitation Medicine section and board, brussels, belgium; 11 president, European society of physical and rehabilitation Medicine (EsprM), rotterdam, the Netherlands;

Serious Games for Stroke Telerehabilitation of Upper Limb - A Review for Future Research

“…The COVID-19 pandemic left many stroke survivors without rehabilitation and increased the use of telemedicine (Negrini et al, 2020). Telehealth technologies seem to be a promising tool, useful to enable consultations and service delivery from the acute phase to home and outpatient monitoring, to treatment, rehabilitation and prevention (Blacquiere et al, 2017).…”

“At risk” and “vulnerable”! Reflections on inequities and the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people

“…At contingency capacity, rehabilitation beds, post-anaesthesia care rooms, and other patient areas are modified to increase ICU capacity by 100%. Typically, one staff member will care for a larger group of patients, and supplies are conserved or re-used (when considered low risk) (Negrini et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020). The redeployment of staff and repurposing of beds results in shorter stays and fewer admissions (Negrini et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020).…”

“…Typically, one staff member will care for a larger group of patients, and supplies are conserved or re-used (when considered low risk) (Negrini et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020). The redeployment of staff and repurposing of beds results in shorter stays and fewer admissions (Negrini et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020). Also, many "non-essential" services, which disabled people rely upon, either cease or are delivered less regularly (Parahi, 2020;United Nations, 2020;Webster, 2020).…”

“…In almost all of the above examples of crisis and contingency capacity, changes to the allocation of resources, a loss of opportunity for enhancing, maintaining, or slowing loss of function is represented (Negrini et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020). Interestingly, it is entirely possible that the ongoing impact of contingency capacity is likely to pose a greater risk to disabled people than crisis capacity (McGuire et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020;Pulman, 2020).…”

“…Interestingly, it is entirely possible that the ongoing impact of contingency capacity is likely to pose a greater risk to disabled people than crisis capacity (McGuire et al, 2020;Nelson et al, 2020;Pulman, 2020). Estimates across 35 countries in Europe suggest this collateral damage is affecting up to 2.2 million people every day (Negrini et al, 2020). Thus, crisis or contingency capacity policy (as well as education, transport, and employment decisions) which are made at the population level can inadvertently disadvantage disabled people who may already face precarity 7 , and will have morbidity and mortality implications (Hole & Stainton, 2020;United Nations, 2020).…”