REturn-to-work And DisAbility Pension afTer COVID-19 virus pandemic. A prospective study

After mild, moderate and severe progression of COVID-19 disease, the majority of patients experience a variety of problems with activities of daily living (ADL). These limitations arise mostly due to deteriorated respiratory problems, resulting for example in a reduction in muscle strength, psychological problems and reduced mobility. For patients recovering from COVID-19, returning to “normalcy” with normal ADL can be a challenge. These patients require rehabilitation services to overcome these problems. Importantly, very little is known about the rehabilitation needs of patients with COVID-19 after discharge from intensive- and medium-care. Aside from returning to ‘normalcy’ with ADL, a significant proportion of patients is of working force, yet no data is available to characterize the path and limitations for returning to work? Clearly, the effects of COVID on health status and return to work are closely intertwined. In this study, we aim to quantify the proportion, duration and degree to which these “labouring class” patients will generally return to work or enrol in disability pension? In general, return to work interventions have been shown to be cost-effective. The majority of these costs are caused by the few remaining workers with long term sick leaves.

The aim of this study is to characterize the proportion and extent of patients who return-to-work and who enter (partial) disability pension in a “labouring class” of patient infected by COVID-19, who were admitted to the hospital for medium- and/or intensive-care and to analyse influencing factors for return-to-work and (partial) disability pension.

It is hypothesized that all affected COVID-19 patients in the working age returned to their original work after hospital discharge within 2-years.

For both the primairy and secondairy outcome the same will be applied. When the first year of illness is reached, a first-year sickness benefit assessment is performed, after which the patient will receive an end-of-wait assessment after reaching 104 weeks of disability pension status.

return-to-work and (partial) disability pension