Barriers to personal hygiene in persons with spinal cord injury during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: A rehabilitation perspective of two cases

Abstract

Personal hygiene is the most important measure to prevent coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The pandemic has put persons with disabilities into various challenges. People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are facing these obstacles more because of their altered physiology and increased susceptibility to COVID-19. Through telerehabilitation, hurdles were identified in two paraplegic individuals, such as safe water sources, concerns regarding self-catheterization, increased dependence on care partner, hygiene of assistive aids/wheelchairs, availability of dressing materials for pressure injury dressing, and sanitary pads for menstrual hygiene. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first cases to describe hygiene concerns of SCI people during the COVID-19 pandemic and its rehabilitation implications. Considering the population with disabilities, we should improve access to primary care at the community level regarding personal hygiene. For a large population with disabilities such as SCI who are at risk, simple health education, awareness, and economic ways of hygienic practices can be a saviour.

Keywords

• barriers
• covid-19
• hygiene
• pandemic
• rehabilitation
• spinal cord injury