The collaborators have clinical, academic and management expertise in the intensive care unit (ICU) and acute care settings. These recommendations have been developed using existing medical guidelines, relevant literature and expert opinion.

The recommendations cover many aspects of the potential role of physiotherapists in the management of hospital-admitted patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. These recommendations are presented in two main sections: recommendations for workforce planning and preparation, and delivery of physiotherapy interventions.

The section on workforce planning and preparation includes a set of screening criteria to determine appropriate indications for physiotherapy. It also provides an example of an ICU physiotherapy resource plan, which modifies in response to the level of pressure on the hospital system. In this section, 24 specific recommendations are included to guide resourcing and indications for referral to physiotherapy.

The section on the delivery of physiotherapy interventions includes respiratory treatments, mobilisation and rehabilitation, as well as recommendations about personal protective equipment.

Again, specific recommendations are listed for 42 clinical issues, ranging across prone positioning, aerosol-generating procedures, cohorting of equipment, and droplet and airborne precautions.

The guideline group will review and update this guidance within six months, or if important new evidence emerges that changes the recommendations.

The recommendations document is published in the in the Articles In Press section of the open-access Journal of Physiotherapy and can be found here. Following this, it will be published in the April issue of the journal.

Readers who wish to enquire about the guidelines could contact the corresponding author Peter Thomas at PeterJ.Thomas@health.qld.gov.au or the journal editor Mark Elkins at scientificeditorjop@physiotherapy.asn.au.