The suspected SARS-Cov-2 infection in a Charcot-Marie-Tooth patient undergoing postsurgical rehabilitation: the value of telerehabilitation for evaluation and continuing treatment.

ABSTRACT

We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a probable COVID-19 infection in a 28-year-old man with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The diagnosis was established through a remote interaction with the patient after early discharge from outpatient therapy due to upcoming traveling restrictions. The COVID-19 disease appeared mild, without major respiratory problems, and no obvious neuromuscular deterioration was reported or observed. Telerehabilitation provided an opportunity to continue with hand rehabilitation after tendon transfer surgery, perform an ad-hoc online evaluation, and advise the patient how to prevent the spread of infection and cope with restrictions limiting outpatient visits. This experience seems valuable for further development of telerehabilitation in anticipation of future pandemics or adversarial events since it allows reaching out to patients unable to travel and overcomes the need for regular outpatient visits.