Rehabilitation: The Missing 'Medicine' for Recovering From Zoonotic Illnesses?

Outbreaks of zoonotic illnesses, from previously neglected monkeypox to the novel pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), herald a new contagious manifestation of diseases that threaten global health safety, dwindle scarce resources, and generate hurtful stigma. Clinical and public health interventions, such as isolation and quarantine of the sick and their contacts, induction of vaccine-derived immunity, and the use of therapeutics, often overlook long-term musculoskeletal and neurological complications. Here, we employ a biopsychosocial lens to elucidate the theoretical underpinnings and broader practical aspects of rehabilitation in our experience of caring for COVID-19 and other patients in Singapore's public hospitals. We discuss the often-overlooked complications of these illnesses, including sarcopenia and neuroinflammation. These can delay rehabilitation in the most vulnerable and bring to the forefront the drawbacks of policies that restrict mobility and socialization.