LettersCoronavirus has left Hong Kong stroke patients without access to vital rehab
- With physiotherapy sessions cancelled, stroke survivors are struggling to get proper exercise at home, even as isolation takes a mental and emotional toll
The coronavirus pandemic has hindered the rehabilitation efforts of stroke survivors in Hong Kong.
Abbie Yeung, one of our nursing school colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, spoke to four stroke survivors about the changes this brought about in their lives.
“I cannot attend my sports therapy sessions as they have been suspended due to the virus,” said a 59-year-old stroke survivor who has lived for three years with hemiplegia, or paralysis affecting one side of his body. “I also don’t go to the park any more, so I have been getting less exercise recently.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, stroke survivors have reported receiving less physiotherapy and had follow-up appointments postponed, resulting in a slowdown in their rehabilitation progress.
Stroke survivors who are wheelchair-bound or have muscle weakness face greater trouble when changing clothes or taking a shower. Moving their limbs about and walking in the living room are common exercise strategies adopted during the pandemic. However, they say this is not as helpful, as the workout is of lower intensity than going outdoors or physiotherapy sessions.