After being hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection, people often suffer from a reduced ability to do things, weak muscles, tiredness, anxiety, and shortness of breath. As COVID-19 infection more often affects the vulnerable populations in East Toronto who do not have easy access to rehabilitation, an in-home rehabilitation pathway, provided over a computer, tablet or smartphone (virtual), could speed up recovery from the COVID-19 infection and reduce the need for more visits to the doctor or hospital. A successful virtual rehabilitation pathway in COVID-19 patients in East Toronto, would support future expansion to other vulnerable urban populations in our community without access to after-hospital rehabilitation, such as those with chronic lung and heart disease, the frail elderly and intensive care unit survivors.

In partnership with Michael Garron Hospital, we will build upon the existing virtual post-discharge COVID-19 monitoring pathway at the hospital and utilize measurement tools from the Home 2day COPD program, to study how well an 8-week virtual rehabilitation pathway works in COVID-19 infected patients discharged home from hospital into our community.