A Long Road to Recovery for Some COVID Survivors

By Serena McNiff
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 31, 2020 (HealthDay News)

For Ron Panzok and numerous sufferers like him, the struggle with COVID-19 did not conclusion when he left the hospital.

From the ambulance experience to North Shore University Clinic on New York’s Long Island to the working day he last but not least woke from a medically induced coma 5 weeks later, Panzok doesn’t bear in mind a point. He missed much more than a thirty day period of his existence.

But emerging from the coma was only the begin of a prolonged street to recovery. The left aspect of his system was paralyzed — the probable consequence of becoming sedated for weeks and a probable signal of nerve problems, which scientific tests have demonstrated coronavirus can lead to.

“When I woke up from the coma, I could talk and almost everything, but I got worried for the reason that I could not shift my left hand — and I am a lefty,” claimed Panzok, a 66-calendar year-outdated trucker from Queens, N.Y. “My hand was completely worthless, and I could not shift just about anything on my left aspect.”

In mid-May possibly, two weeks right after he woke and got off a ventilator, Panzok was transferred to an acute rehab facility at Glen Cove Clinic, also on Long Island.

Acute rehabs choose in sufferers right after they go away a hospital’s intensive treatment device. Typically, sufferers have recovered from the injuries or ailment that sent them to the hospital — be it a stroke, spinal cord injuries or loss of a limb — but they nevertheless have substantial disabilities.

When Panzok got to Glen Cove, his kidney purpose was minimal and he was receiving dialysis. He experienced a deep tension sore, a common injuries among the people today who are bedridden. He nevertheless experienced paralysis on his left aspect and weak spot throughout his system.

His arrival at the rehab middle was properly-timed. As the coronavirus instances peaked in New York, Glen Cove selected 50 % of its rehab beds for COVID-19 sufferers.

“We generally ended up physically splitting our rehab models into two so that we could safely and securely present COVID rehab,” claimed Dr. Susan Maltser, health-related director of the hospital’s division of physical medication and rehabilitation.

A lot more enable for COVID-19 sufferers

At Glen Cove, Panzok and other COVID-19 sufferers worked with an array of professionals to get back qualities destroyed by their sicknesses. They involve physical and occupational therapists, speech and swallowing therapists, psychologists and social employees.

“Acute rehab is all about restoring independence, purpose and high-quality of existence to a patient’s past existence, before no matter what injuries you experienced,” Maltser claimed.

Following battling COVID-19, numerous sufferers struggle to wander or even turn about in their beds. Bodily therapists enable them get back the energy to do people day to day tasks independently.

Since the new coronavirus can ravage the lungs, numerous sufferers arrive at rehab needing oxygen to breathe. Respiratory therapists enable them get better their lung purpose.

For people who drop the capacity to discuss, maybe because of to a stroke endured during their disease, there is speech therapy.

And numerous COVID-19 sufferers experience emotionally, as well. That was primarily true for people like Panzok who arrived at Glen Cove in spring or early summer season, when New York hospitals banned guests. Lots of sufferers hadn’t seen their family in weeks or months and have been having difficulties.

“Lots of of these sufferers experienced pretty much like publish-traumatic tension problem,” Maltser claimed. “When you go through a little something like this, and you’ve got been by itself in the hospital with no family, it truly is really hard.”

But numerous of the issues impacting COVID-19 sufferers are common for rehabilitation facilities, as spending time in an intensive treatment device can have comparable outcomes on people today irrespective of their ailment.

“There’s a little something that comes about to the system when you’re in a ventilator for a prolonged period of time,” Maltser explained. “If you’re unable to wander, your muscular tissues get deconditioned.”

Surprises during recovery

But, as is to be expected with a virus that researchers are nevertheless seeking to understand absolutely, there have been surprises from people recovering from COVID-19.

Dr. Sean Smith is an assistant professor of physical medication and rehabilitation at Michigan Drugs in Ann Arbor.

Prior to the pandemic, he claimed, the recovery of sufferers who make it to rehab right after time in the intensive treatment device is frequently an upward trajectory. With the coronavirus, there are much more ups and downs.

Even right after screening unfavorable twice for the virus — a well known protocol before getting into an acute rehab facility — some sufferers acquire blood clots, Smith claimed.

“Following they have been steady for a week, all of a unexpected that just comes about out of nowhere,” he claimed. “It is really not always apparent that these sufferers are nevertheless in a hypercoagulable and hyperinflammatory state.”

The fact is that the virus affects people today in different ways, added Maltser.

And Panzok was 1 of the fortunate ones, as his wellness is much better now.

He left Glen Cove in late May possibly, right after two weeks of treatment. By the time he left, his kidneys experienced recovered ample that he no more time needed dialysis. He experienced also regained much of his capacity to shift his left aspect.

He nevertheless will get jolted awake some evenings by shooting pain and numbness in his left foot — remnants of the nerve problems he endured.

And Panzok claimed his system is no more time powerful ample to take care of the handbook labor that goes alongside with his get the job done as a self-utilized trucker.

Continue to, his good spirit has held continuous, which he credits in supporting alongside his recovery.

“Mindset is really significant,” Panzok claimed. “I noticed people today that did not want to shift in the rehab, but you have to fight and fight.”

Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

References

Resources: Ron Panzok, Queens, N.Y. Susan Maltser, D.O., assistant professor, Zucker University of Drugs at Hofstra/Northwell, Back garden City, N.Y., and health-related director, Office of Bodily Drugs and Rehabilitation, Glen Cove Clinic, Northwell Wellness, Manhasset, N.Y. Sean Smith, M.D., assistant professor, physical medication and rehabilitation, and director, Cancer Rehabilitation Software, Michigan Drugs, Ann Arbor