Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on rehabilitation services and Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine physicians' activities in Italy. An official document of the Italian PRM Society (SIMFER)

Abstract

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, Italy has been among the first affected countries, and the number of reported cases is still the highest in the continent. Since the beginning, the epidemic has had a huge impact in the acute sector of the healthcare system (especially the emergency departments, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), laboratory and imaging services), and these services have been experiencing increasing pressure