Journal of Cancer Rehabilitation (Jul 2020)
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BEYOND: PARALLELS WITH ONCOLOGY AND STRATEGIES FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
Abstract
From a psycho-emotional standpoint, COVID-19 and cancer share several similarities that can be useful for defining proposals for interventions to support and/or rehabilitate patients affected by COVID-19 during the pandemic. Conversely, current experiences with COVID-19 can be applied to improve the management of patients affected by or surviving cancer. Common elements to both conditions include the unpredictable nature of the event, a sense of loss of control over one’s health, the discovery of one’s own vulnerability and the precarious nature of life, and confronting the risk of death. Accordingly, both cancer and COVID-19 infection represent traumatic events that are not easily integrated into an individual’s existing psychosocial functioning. Raising awareness about the potentially enduring emotional effects of infection (even after treatment has concluded), habitually encouraging patients to express their malaise or wellbeing in all of its bio-psycho-social components (not only biomedical aspects), developing and implementing strategies for long-term, multidimensional follow-up, and personalized care are some useful interventions in oncology that can benefit patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The current pandemic has resulted in a new, mass use of media and remote communication supported by the wide availability of internet technology and mobile devices. While technology alone cannot fully substitute the richness and depth of face-to-face interactions, they nonetheless provide open channels for communication. The newfound uses of these modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic can also be adopted for oncology patients, especially in cases when there is a considerable distance between the patient and treatment center or for patients with reduced mobility. In conclusion, healthcare professionals should capitalize on the similarities between COVID-19 and cancer by adapting strategies developed for oncological contexts to intervene promptly and provide support to patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
