Long COVID resources for OTs

The continued spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Canada and around the world has had varied impacts on occupational therapy practice and study. CAOT’s top priority as we navigate this outbreak together is the health and safety of occupational therapy practitioners, students, and the clients they serve. To this end, we have compiled resources to support you.  Please note that these resources are provided for information sharing and do not replace advice or direction from your College or Ordre. Updates to this page will now focus on how we can support practice as we move forward living with ongoing COVID-19 infections and the associated long term effects that are emerging as occupational performance affecting issues for clients that OTs work with in all settings. Please check back often as we will be updating these resources to reflect the changing landscapes of practice in relation to COVID-19. 

CAOT's response

Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2022, June 8). Discussion forum on long COVID / Forum de discussion sur la COVID-19 de longue durée . Discussion forum presented through the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, Online delivery.

CAOT Long COVID Discussion Forum Summary 

Resources 

• The impact of COVID‐19 restrictions on the delivery of occupational therapy: How technology use affected practice during COVID‐19 among occupational therapists in British Columbia - Fawkes - Australian Occupational Therapy Journal - Wiley Online Library (2023, August).
• OT & Long-COVID Infographic (2022, March).
• World Federation of Occupational Therapists (2023, May) ​Current Practice in Occupational Therapy for COVID-19 and… | WFOT 
• DeMars J, Major A, Graham K, Goulding S, Brown D, Gross D, O’Brien KK (2022, September) Recommendations for Employers, Insurers, Human Resource Personnel and Rehabilitation Professionals on Return to Work for People Living with Long COVID 
• Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) (2022, March). Affections Post-COVID-19 (COVID-19 Longue). Québec, Qc: INESSS. 
• Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de la Montérégie (2022) Long COVID, Project Co-Vie.   Santé Montérégie Portal. Québec, Qc: CISSS.
• Welsh Government. (2022, March). Rehabilitation: a framework for continuity and recovery 2020 to 2021.
• Alberta Health Services. (2022, February). Long COVID Information & Resources.
• Manitoba Academic Rehabilitation Sciences COVID Interest Group (MARSCI). (2022, January). Advocating for Long COVID Rehabilitation Support in Manitoba: An Environmental Scan. 
• World Health Organization. (2021, December). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Post COVID-19 condition.
• World Health Organization. (2021, November). Rehabilitation needs of people recovering from COVID-19.
• Alberta Health Services, Allied Health Professional Practice and Education. (2021, November). Rehabilitation & Allied Health Practice Considerations: Post COVID-19. 
  
• Canadian Physiotherapy Association. (2021, September). Rehabilitation for clients with post COVID-19 condition (Long COVID).
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists. (2021, July). Long COVID quick guide – Adults. 
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists. (2021, July). Long COVID quick guide – Children and young people.
• Lemay, K. (2021, April). Long COVID and occupational therapy: A brief factsheet. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
• Wright, A. (2021, March 2). Managing long COVID: The important role of occupational therapy. The OT Practice.
• Shepherd, C. (2020, November). Post COVID-19 fatigue, post/long COVID-19 syndromes and post-COVID ME/CFA. The ME Association.
• The WHO  COVID-19 Clinical management: living guidance contains the Organization’s most up-to-date recommendations for the clinical management of people with COVID-19. Providing guidance that is comprehensive and holistic for the optimal care of COVID-19 patients throughout their entire illness is important. The  latest version of this living guideline is available here, and via an online platform, and is updated regularly as new evidence emerges. This updated (fifth) version contains  16  new  recommendations for the rehabilitation of adults with post COVID-19 condition (see Chapter 24).  

Videos 

The following videos, created by the OT & Long COVID Community of Practice CAOT-QC in collaboration with l'Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec, are available in French with English subtitles as an option.

• Long COVID: Message to health care providers (2022)
• Long COVID: Message from an occupational therapist to insurers and employers (2022)
• Long COVID: Message from an occupational therapist who has long COVID (2022)
• Long COVID: Message from an occupational therapist to those who have had or think they have had COVID-19 (2022)

Free training

• BC Echo for Post-COVID-19 Recovery
  
• ECHO Coping with COVID
• World Health Organization. (2021, October 6). Expanding our understanding of post COVID-19 condition web series: Rehabilitation care.
• Paterson, F. (2021, July 22). CSP/RCOT Long COVID Webinar [Video]. YouTube.
• Yorkshire Care Equipment. (2021, March 19). Understanding long COVID: Managing client symptoms & supporting recovery – Webinar 18th March 2021 [Video]. YouTube. 

News articles related to long COVID and occupational therapists 

• Mackenzie, A. (2022, February 7). UM researchers advocate for long-COVID rehabilitation support. UM Today News.
• Vermont-Desroches, P. (2021, 4 septembre). COVID longue : à 38 ans, vivre comme si on avait 90 ans. Le Soleil. 
• Cole, A. (2021, Jun 25). Seeking answers for lingering symptoms: How some Manitobans are finding treatment for long COVID. CBC News.
• Bernier, P. (2021, 12 juin). Ergothérapie et COVID-19 longue durée. Le Devoir.

Research

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). (2022, January). COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the longterm effects of COVID-19 . 
• Decary, S., Dugas, M., Stefan, T., Langlois, L., Skidmore, B., Bhéreur, A., & LeBlanc, A. (2021, December). Care Models for Long COVID – A Living Systematic Review. First Update – December 2021. SPOR Evidence Alliance, COVID-END Network.
• Wilcox, J., & Frank, E. (2021). Occupational therapy for the long haul of post-COVID syndrome: A case report. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(Supplement_1), 7511210060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.049223 
• Watters, K., Marks, T. S., Edwards, D. F., Skidmore, E. R., & Giles, G. M. (2021). A Framework for Addressing Clients' Functional Cognitive Deficits After COVID-19. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(Supplement_1), 7511347010p1–7511347010p7. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.049308

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Now articles related to COVID-19 

• Adams, K., & Saikaly, R. (2021). Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on youth experiencing homelessness using the Person-Environment-Occupation Model. OT Now, 23(3), 27-29.
• Boniface, J., & Drynan, D. (2021). Acknowledging the disruption and embracing the opportunities: Fieldwork in the COVID-19 environment. OT Now, 23(1 ), 23-24.
• Falcicchio, K., & Storr, C. (2021). Challenging COVID-19 isolation: Uptake of group models of student supervision. OT Now, 23(6), 26-28.
• Govender, P., Ogunlana, M. & Khanyile, N. N. (2021). Could COVID-19 be a catalyst for occupational injustices? A South African perspective. OT Now, 23(1), 27-29.
• Hammell, K.W. (2020). Engagement in living during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing occupational disruption. OT Now, 22(4), 7-8.
• Hershfield, L. (2021). How COVID-19 changed my practice: lessons learned. OT Now, 23(4), 27-28.
• Mulholland, S., Islam, T., & Moon, T. (2021). Building new landscapes: A photo essay. OT Now, 23(3), 21-23.
• Nesbitt, A., Gill, M., Cruchley, B., & Duncan, A. (2022). Occupation as recovery: A virtual fitness program for mental health. OT Now, 24(1), 28-30.
• Pekçetin, S., & Günal, A. (2021). Effect of Web-Based Time-Use Intervention on Occupational Balance During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 88, 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417421994967 
• Ryan, M., Aird, J., Dreise, H., Malozewski, M., Marshall, Brooke Whitaker, B., & Hickling, A. (2021). Adapting to virtual fieldwork and embracing change: Developing skills as new occupational therapists during COVID-19. OT Now, 23(3), 18-20.
• Storr, C., Watters, V., & Falcicchio, K. (2021). What is a HISIE? COVID-19 inspired creativity in occupational therapy clinical education. OT Now, 23(3), 24-26.
• Sztym, M., Lazorek, C., Gillis, K., Froese, D., Falk, C., Mathew, L., Nelsen, N., and O’Krafka, P.(2021). Shift in practice: Enabling client-centred occupation through virtual engagements. OT Now, 23(1), 25-26.
• Werther. K. (2020). My Online teaching going off. OT Now, 22(5), 21
• White, T. (2020). Exchange forum recap—Indigenous health in the time of COVID: Implications for occupational therapy. OT Now, 22(5), 28-30.
• Zafran, H. (2020). Occupational gifts in the time of a pandemic. OT Now, 22(4), 5-6.

Support for you 

 

This free webinar series presented by Rachel Thibeault on resilience is meant as a resource for those going through rough times and those providing support through rough times. 

• Suggestions for you and your clients to stay motivated, productive and well while working from home.
• Practical Considerations for Occupational Therapists who are Considering Telehealth
• Supporting your recovery from COVID-19

Managing practice risk with BMS insurance

Our insurance partner BMS Group has provided risk resources.

If you are aware of other credible resources to support the work of front line occupational therapists, please do not hesitate to share them with Josée Séguin .