This Knowledge Hub is a trusted source of information using evidence from research to help you support such individuals.
This section of the Knowledge Hub will:
- Provide you with tools to help deliver high quality nutritional care
- Help you understand when to seek advice from a nutritional expert
- Provide resources or links that can be used to signpost those in your care.
Why is nutritional care important?
Many COVID-19 symptoms are linked to nutrition and what we eat. These symptoms can change over time particularly during acute illness and recovery.
COVID-19 has complex multi-organ effects (multi-system) that interact in various ways with some strong links with nutrition and diet. Many symptoms of COVID-19 infection are affected by or affect diet and nutrition.
Malnourished people with low immunity and chronic diseases have a worse prognosis and higher mortality rates (Malnutrition Pathway, 2020). It is also widely acknowledged that malnutrition is both a cause and a consequence of immune dysfunction (Gem COVID, 2020).
COVID-19 can result in respiratory distress and in severe cases require intensive care. This will impact nutritional state. Recovery can be slow, with clinical outcomes variable and include associated respiratory and psychological challenges (Brika et al., 2020). Those recovering from COVID-19 may therefore have problems with eating and nutrition.
Some groups of people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, highlighting health disparities. This includes people with long-term health conditions and older adults. Those with underlying metabolic diseases such as diabetes often take longer to recover and may experience more serious illness and complications as well as higher mortality (Zabetakis et al., 2020). Older adults are often complex with chronic diseases resulting in reduced functional reserves and higher risk of malnutrition, which can lead to unplanned weight loss, malnutrition and hospital admission (Ferrara, De Rosa and Vitiello, 2020).
Good nutrition not only supports immunity to diseases such as COVID-19, it is also an essential factor for the promotion of recovery
Ferrara, De Rosa and Vitiello, 2020
The long-term nutritional effects of COVID-19 are not well known. Research is limited around COVID-19 and dietary advice with limited studies relating to nutritional supplements, nutrition support, phytomedicine (herbal medicine), food insecurity (disruption of food intake or eating patterns due to lack of money and other resources) (Gundersen and Ziliak, 2015), quarantine-related behaviour and weight changes (Mechanick et al., 2020).
However, research is ongoing and knowledge is increasing in this field. What we do know from published research is used alongside the nutritional impact of serious infections, social isolation and other co-morbidities to inform nutritional care in COVID-19 recovery.
In creating the knowledge hub we worked with expert panels to form a consensus on the nutritional care for people recovering from COVID-19 infection. Each section of the knowledge hub includes a consensus statement produced by the relevant expert panel. For information on the background of the Nutrition and COVID-19 recovery knowledge hub project visit the 'about us' page.
To find out more about how to support the nutritional management of people in your care recovering from COVID-19, click on the relevant section below.
Who to include for nutritional care and how to identify them
As a person working in health and social care it is important to understand who needs nutritional care while recovering from COVID-19 and how to identify those needing it.
Assessing nutritional needs
Risk of malnutrition can be identified using a validated screening tool. Screening is vital to identify those who are malnourished, or at risk of malnourishment.
Nutritional treatment and advice
Information on first-line and more advanced dietary advice.
Monitoring progress
Monitoring nutritional status is important, and setting goals with patients and then linking the nutritional care to these can help with motivation to comply. Achievement of such a goal is also a way of monitoring improvements.
Managing symptoms of COVID-19 which can affect nutrition
Helping patients to manage symptoms, particularly those affecting eating and nutrition, can be difficult. Here is some information on managing symptoms which you can use to help your patients during their recovery.
Challenges of care during a pandemic
Information on operational challenges for delivering nutritional care during a pandemic.
Disclaimer
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is acting as a host website for this information only. The Nutrition and COVID-19 Recovery Knowledge Hub was created independently by the University of Plymouth in 2021 and has not been developed or reviewed by the BDA. Unless specifically stated, documents included have not been endorsed by the BDA. The views and information expressed are those of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the BDA.