COVID Recovery and Rehabilitation
Treating Long-Term Effects of the Coronavirus in Adults and Children
While the majority of people who have had coronavirus (COVID-19) recover completely, there is a population of survivors who suffer from lingering side effects. Their COVID recovery time seems to last longer than others'. These individuals are sometimes called “long-haulers,” and their symptoms interfere with their ability to recover and return to their prior life and activities.Does this sound like you or someone you know?
Do you still have symptoms of COVID-19 weeks or months after being diagnosed?
RWJBarnabas Health has created COVID-19 rehabilitation programs to help people manage what have been called “post-COVID conditions” or “long COVID.”
Conditions Treated in Our COVID Recovery Programs
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common long-COVID symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Joint pain
- Chest pain
- Difficulty thinking and concentrating (brain fog)
- Depression
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Intermittent fever and a fast-beating heart (heart palpitations)
Less common but more serious long-term complications that can prevent a full recovery from COVID-19 include:
- Inflammation of the heart muscle
- Lung function abnormalities
- Acute kidney injury
- Dermatologic issues (rashes, hair loss)
- Smell and taste problems
- Sleep issues
- Memory problems
- Psychiatric problems (depression, anxiety, mood changes)
COVID Recovery Services
Our multidisciplinary team of doctors and rehabilitation experts work together to reduce or eliminate lingering symptoms in people who have post-COVID conditions.
We will assess a patient’s symptoms and link them with experts in specialties such as cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, physical therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy, and more.
Our providers offer access to a continuum of care, including additional outpatient testing, radiology or prescription medication.
Pediatric Post-COVID Recovery Program
The pediatric Post-COVID-19 recovery program ensures that children who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) as a result of COVID-19 receive the necessary physician follow-up.
In collaboration with a child’s pediatrician, experts will determine whether they need specialty services, and a patient navigator will connect parents with the doctors who can help.
Specialists in our pediatric post-COVID recovery program are from behavioral health services, cardiology, gastroenterology, hematology, nephrology, neurology, pulmonology, radiology, and rheumatology. Physical, speech and cognitive rehabilitation are part of the program as well.
Find a COVID Recovery Program Near You
Find a COVID recovery program offered at an RWJBarnabas Health facility near you.
Physician-Led Comprehensive Academic Programs
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ – Post-COVID Recovery Program
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ - Adult – Post-COVID Comprehensive Assessment Recovery and Evaluation (CARE) Program
- Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ - Pediatric – Pediatric Post-COVID Comprehensive Assessment Recovery and Evaluation (CARE) Program
Physician Care and Rehabilitation Services
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Children's Specialized Hospital – Pediatric post-COVID care is offered through various departments
depending on the need:
- Special Needs Primary Care
- Neurology
- Inpatient Services
- Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
- Neuropsychology
- Physiatry
Outpatient Rehabilitation
- Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ – Pediatric Post-COVID Comprehensive Assessment Recovery and Evaluation (CARE) Program
- Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Post-COVID Recovery Program
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ – COVID-19 Recovery Clinic
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton, NJ – Post-COVID Recovery Program
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Rahway, NJ – Post-COVID Recovery Program
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Somerset, NJ – Post-COVID Care Exercise Program and Speech Services
Research
RWJBarnabas Health participates in clinical trials to offer the latest treatments to our patients. As part of a premier academic medical institution, our work can inform the medical research community to aid in developing more effective treatments for COVID-19.