Post-Discharge Cardiac Care in the Era of Coronavirus 2019: How Should We Prepare?

The coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has placed tremendous pressures on health care organizations around the world. As of April 5, 2020, there were 14,018 confirmed cases in Canada spread across the country, with estimates suggesting that 35% to 70% of the Canadian population could eventually become infected. Appropriately, much attention to date has focused on addressing the surge of critically ill patients in acute care settings. Less emphasis has been paid to the post-acute health care system capacity to manage numerous cardiac patients after COVID-19, ie, as patients move from hospital to longterm care facilities or home. In Canada, post-acute cardiac care includes outpatient and inpatient cardiac rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, and nursing homes.