Discussing COVID-19 and Spinal Cord Injury

COVID-19 has changed our lives dramatically, not only for the past nine months but also for the foreseeable future, as there are still many long-term questions about the disease that are not clearly understood. While there now appears to be a short-term solution, with the distribution of the vaccine, the constant masking and quarantining has caused major disruptions in everyone’s daily routines. But what does COVID-19 mean specifically for people with a spinal cord injury?

In this recorded forum, Aaron Bunnell M.D., University of Washington assistant professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Jeanne Hoffman PhD, professor in the department of Rehabilitation Medicine and director of the Northwest Regional SCI System, discuss what we know and do not know about COVID-19 and spinal cord injury. This includes discussing Dr. Bunnell’s work in U.W. Medicine’s post COVID telehealth clinic as well as the potential issues for people with SCI and a diagnosis of COVID-19, the pros and cons of in-person routine care, and strategies for minimizing exposure from caregivers.

You may view this 69-minute recording HERE.