Follow-up of functional exercise capacity in patients with COVID-19: It is improved by telerehabilitation

Respir Med. 2021 Jul:183:106438. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106438. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Abstract

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on functional exercise capacity seemed quickly clinically evident. The objective of this study was to assess the functional exercise capacity of patients with severe COVID-19 and to evaluate the effect of a telerehabilitation program in the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: Patients hospitalized for severe or critical COVID-19 were recruited. The functional exercise capacity (1-min sit-to-stand test (STST)) was prospectively quantified at discharge. A telerehabilitation program was then proposed. A control group was composed with the patients refusing the program.

Results: At discharge, none of the 48 recruited patients had a STST higher than the 50th percentile and 77% of them were below the 2.5th percentile. SpO2 was 92.6 ± 3.0% after STST and 15 patients had oxygen desaturation. After 3-months of follow-up, the number of repetitions during STST significantly increased either in telerehabilitation (n = 14) (p < 0.001) or in control groups (n = 13) (p = 0.002) but only one patient had a result higher than the 50th percentile (in Telerehabilitation group) and 37% of them were still under the 2.5th percentile for this result. The improvement was significantly and clinically greater after the telerehabilitation program (p = 0.005). No adverse events were reported by the patients during the program.

Conclusions: Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have a low functional exercise capacity at discharge and the recovery after three months is poor. The feasibility and the effect of a simple telerehabilitation program were verified, this program being able to substantially improve the functional recovery after three months.

Keywords: COVID; Functional exercise capacity; Telerehabilitation.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Belgium / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / physiopathology
  • COVID-19 / rehabilitation*
  • Exercise Therapy / methods*
  • Exercise Tolerance / physiology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recovery of Function*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Telerehabilitation / methods*