Impact of COVID-19 on Wound Care: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

1. Impact of COVID-19 on Wound Care: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The pandemic outbreak has had a negative impact on the wound care and treatment methods, including limited access to the general physician, hospitalization, and diagnostic processes. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant reduction in hospital admissions due to a lack of beds. However, the pandemic is not all bad. It gave rise to newer treatment solutions, including at-home wound care. Let’s look at both sides of the coin while discussing the impacts of the pandemic outbreak on wound care. The Good The pandemic gave rise to wound care at the comfort of one's home. Clinics adapt to flexible wound care solutions to treat patients in this new home environment, thus increasing satisfaction rates and ease of medical access, especially for elderly patients. People who are disabled or suffer from multiple comorbidities during the pandemic outbreak require at-home treatments now more than ever. They can be treated at home, thus saving travel time and eliminating the risks of contracting the virus due to public transport. Since wound care and other treatments were readily available to people on just a phone call or a simple appointment booking procedure on the healthcare provider’s website, they could easily avoid the risks of stepping out to see the doctor. Today, telemedicine facilities are widely made available to patients across the globe. As a result, access to the general physician became easier, and one could stop worrying about healing their wounds on time. Certain injuries may be severe enough to be treated without medical help, and hence these home clinic methods proved to be effective across the world. Before the pandemic, only a few people used at-home treatment or telemedicine facilities. Very few people knew about the vast potential of telemedicine, and even if they knew, they were unable to use these services. Due to the pandemic, people were left with no other option but to rely on telemedicine techniques, and happily, they are getting benefited from this process in numerous ways. As a result, patients learn to use telemedicine and understand its wide scope and possibilities.

2. The Bad With a higher number of people losing jobs and businesses closing their doors, the pandemic has been a turning point for its broad economy. People suffering from illnesses have been experiencing significant financial crunches during this period. The severity of the pandemic was being felt by healthcare institutions when the number of cases was rising without a halt. In such a situation, one’s healthcare spending was becoming uncertain. Thanks to caregivers and voluntary non-profit organizations/individuals who have been donating food and other essentials to patients in these times of need. The Ugly The pandemic saw a drastic condition at the hospitals wherein the doctors and nurses have been working day and night despite the high life risks involved. Cases were pouring in thousands and lakhs, leaving the hospitals helpless. Due to a considerable lack of hospital beds, people suffering from other chronic illnesses and emergency health conditions received serious consequences. Many lost their lives due to untreated diseases, and some experienced worsening of their health conditions due to the unavailability of appropriate treatment options.

3. The Role of Telemedicine During the Pandemic Outbreak Telemedicine was the only solution for people across the world and is considered the best solution to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It was able to provide timely care to chronic illnesses and wounds. To reap the benefits of telemedicine effectively, you need to follow these tips. ● Always keep in touch with your doctor via phone calls or video calls. You can also send photos of the affected site every 2 weeks to show its improvement and progress after the treatment process begins. ● Take the help of an explanatory video suggested by your doctor or nurse to simplify dressing processes. Yes, some wound dressings can be done at home with a bit of professional help. ● Learn from your doctor or other healthcare professionals on the steps to perform wound care. Educate your family on the same to help you during the treatment and healing process. ● Inform your doctor immediately if you notice abnormal signs and symptoms, such as pain, swelling, redness, heat, drainage, pus formation, chills, fever, and severe pain. Final Words While the pandemic has been rough on patients suffering from chronic pain and wounds, it also gave rise to telemedicine and at-home clinical care access. Besides, it has also increased the number of family caregivers, thus improving your relationships and providing emotional support.