Researchers are looking for new ways to help the thousands of Canadians living with the debilitating long-term effects of COVID-19.
“My life has been completely turned upside down: I can no longer do simple tasks like washing and cooking. Even getting dressed and showering makes me short of breath,” says Louise Lemay, who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant in December 2021. She developed symptoms that have persisted since then, including shortness of breath after minimal exertion, pain in chest and severe fatigue. “I have two children and I can no longer walk 500 meters to the park or accompany them in their activities.”
Hoping to help people like Louise, scientists at the Research Institute at McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC) launched a study to determine the impact of a virtual rehabilitation program on people living with post-COVID syndrome or prolonged COVID. Researchers will examine study participants’ mobility, physical function, quality of life and mental health.
“It has been known for many years that rehabilitation programs can improve the quality of life of people with a variety of conditions, including pulmonary, cardiovascular and neurological diseases,” explains Tania Gianaudis-Ferreira, PhD, a scientist in the Translational Research Program in Respiratory diseases at RI-MUHC and professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. “We think people suffering from prolonged COVID can also benefit from a program that includes health education and adapted physical activity.”
Janaudis-Ferreira co-led the development and research of this new rehabilitation program with Dr. Jean Bourbeau, a respirologist at McGill University Health Center, and Marla Beauchamp, PhD, a researcher at McMaster University.
“Our rehab program for long-term COVID sufferers is delivered 100% virtually, via Zoom,” Gianaudis-Ferreira adds. “This is one of the biggest strengths of our approach, as we were trying to design a program that could be delivered to people who have mobility or transport issues, or who live in remote locations.”
If this rehabilitation program proves to be effective, this model can be implemented at the national level, including appropriate cultural adaptations and measures to address inequality in access to the Internet and electronic devices.
As of the date of this publication, this study is actively recruiting participants. Additional information can be obtained by email [email protected] or call 450-700-2741.
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