Self-care and clinical management of persons with laryngectomy during COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize guidelines on self-care and clinical management of persons with laryngectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Articles published in electronic databases-PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINHAL with the compliant keywords-were scouted from December 2019 to November 2020. All original articles, letters to editors, reviews, and consensus statements were reviewed and included. RESULTS: In all, 20 articles that had information pertaining to self-care of persons with laryngectomy or guidelines for clinicians working with this population were identified. Four of the included studies were case reports of persons with laryngectomy who contracted the COVID-19 virus. One of the included articles was a cohort study that explored the use of telerehabilitation in persons with laryngectomy. CONCLUSION: The hallmarks of preventative strategies for persons with laryngectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows: physical distancing, use of a three-ply mask or surgical mask to cover the mouth and nose, and use of Heat Moisture Exchange (HME) device over stoma in addition to covering it with a surgical mask or laryngectomy bib. Telerehabilitation, not a preference with this population prior to the pandemic, has gained popularity and acceptance during the COVID-19 situation. The reports of COVID-positive persons with laryngectomy have indicated contrary findings from the tracheal and nasal swabs, necessitating compulsory inclusion of both nasal and tracheal swabs.

Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on professional practices of audiologists and speech-language pathologists in India: A knowledge, attitude and practices survey.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world and become a global pandemic. This has hampered and led to drastic changes in the functioning of healthcare services, forcing the professionals to adapt and work efficiently. The present study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the professional practices of audiologists and speech-language pathologists in India using a cross-sectional knowledge, attitude and practices survey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in two phases; phase one involved development and validation of the questionnaire, while phase II involved data collection. A cross-sectional self-reported internet-based study using convenience sampling was carried out. RESULTS: Two hundred and eleven audiologists and speech-language pathologists responded to the survey. Overall, the professionals exhibited good knowledge levels regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. However, there were differences in their attitudes towards service delivery in the midst of the pandemic. Further, poor practices towards infection control measures especially in terms of hand washing was noted. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study are useful in highlighting the need to create better awareness among these professionals about appropriate and standard infection control measures. There is a need to have in place standard operating protocols for hand wash and infection control as well as inclusion in curriculum.