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COVID-19 Resources

For Patients and Community

The Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease is working hard to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and provide the proper information, resources and care to the stroke community we serve. Our top priority is the health and safety of our patients, physicians, and staff.

Please check here frequently for updated information. If you have any questions regarding your stroke care during the COVID-19 crisis, please contact [email protected].

Last updated: February 28, 2021

Stay Informed

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a novel coronavirus, a family of viruses that include everything from the common cold to SARS and MERS. Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu, and can include fever, cough, diarrhea and fatigue. Please check the World Health Organization website for more information on COVID-19 and best health practices to ensure the well-being of yourself and others.

Despite the current crisis, please remember that in the case of an emergency you should still call 9-1-1 to assist yourself or a loved one.

General Resources

Mental Health Resources

Please refer to our Mental Health page for more information.

Related Media


Clinical Trials

VAST-Rehab

We're looking for stroke patients to enroll in VAST-Rehab, a clinical trial providing physical, occupational, and speech therapies over a video conference platform so you or a loved one may have access to rehab from the comfort of your homes.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Men and Women
  • Age 18+
  • Treated for a stroke at Memorial Hermann in the last 6 months (ischemic or hemorrhagic)
  • Recommended to receive rehab services in the home or outpatient facility

@UTHealthStroke Graphics (2)

For more information, please contact Dorothea "Dory" Parker at 713-500-7085 or [email protected]


IACQUIRE logo

I-ACQUIRE, a form of infant and toddler rehabilitation, is being evaluated (in 2 amounts) compared to typical treatments for infants and toddlers with hemiparesis, such as one hour weekly each of occupational therapy and physical therapy. Both forms of I-ACQUIRE involve therapy 5 days a week for 4 weeks in a row, provided by a therapist trained in I-ACQUIRE – the name of this form of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT).

For more information, please contact Melissa Howard at (713) 500-7914 or [email protected]  or view the informational brochure here (also available in Spanish)


For Professionals

Members affiliated with the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease are authoring guidelines and special reports on stroke care in response to the global pandemic. These papers focus on the prevention, care, and treatment of stroke during these times. Many graduates of our training program are also leading efforts to adapt healthcare in response to the pandemic. Some of these papers are selectively listed below.

Publications

  • Reddy, S.T., Satani, N., Beauchamp, J.E.S., Selvaraj, S., Rajan, S.S., Rahbar, M.H., Tahanan, A., Kim, S., Holder, T., Jiang, X., Chen, L., Kamal, H., Indupuru, H.K.R., Wu, T.?C. and Savitz, S.I. (2021), A meta?analysis of the global impact of the COVID?19 pandemic on stroke care & the Houston Experience. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51322 

  • Decline in Stroke Presentations During COVID-19 Surge, Ken Uchino, MD, stroke graduate (2001 - 2003)
  • Mechanical Thrombectomy in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Emergency Preparedness for Neuroscience Teams, Sunil Sheth, MD
  • Early Lessons From World War COVID: Reinventing Our Stroke Systems of Care, Sunil A. Sheth, Tzu-Ching Wu, Anjail Sharrief, Christy Ankrom, James C. Grotta, Sean I. Savitz
  • Preserving stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Potential issues and solutions. Nicole Gonzales Neurology. 2020 May 8:10.1212/WNL.0000000000009713. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009713
  • Management of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection: Insights from an international panel.
  • Marc Ribo and Fahmi Al-Senani Am J Emerg Med. 2020 May 11:S0735-6757(20)30356-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2020.05.018. Online ahead of print.
  • Management of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection: Report of an international panel.
    Marc Ribo
  • Int J Stroke. 2020 May 3:1747493020923234. doi: 10.1177/1747493020923234. Online ahead of print.
    PMID: 32362244
  • Mechanical Thrombectomy in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Emergency Preparedness for Neuroscience Teams: A Guidance Statement From the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology.  Nguyen TN, Abdalkader M, Jovin TG, Nogueira RG, Jadhav AP, Haussen DC, Hassan AE, Novakovic R, Sheth SA, Ortega-Gutierrez S, Panagos PD, Cordina SM, Linfante I, Mansour OY, Malik AM, Narayanan S, Masoud HE, Chou SH, Khatri R, Janardhan V, Yavagal DR, Zaidat OO, Greer DM, Liebeskind DS.