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

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 (one-minute 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.

Effectiveness of a Primary Care Telerehabilitation Program for Post-COVID-19 Patients: A Feasibility Study

“…This study was observational without a control group, for this reason it was difficult to determine how much of the improvement is due to the intervention itself and how much to the natural evolution of the disease. However, our results are in line with a previous study that applied a telerehabilitation program in 14 hospitalized patients (mean age 60.8 ± 10.4; 40% with ICU admission) [ 31 ]. The intervention group improve the 1-min STST by 10 points, and the control group improved 5 points.…”

“…Close to half of the patients showed a 1-min STST below the 2.5 percentile at the beginning of the program and only 15% at the end. Our results are in line with another telerehabilitation program in COVID-19 which shows that this test can be an alternative to evaluate the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program [ 31 ].…”

“…The intervention group improve the 1-min STST by 10 points, and the control group improved 5 points. Additionally, 37% of the control group patients were still under the 2.5th percentile [ 31 ]. In our hospitalized patients, at the beginning, 65% of patients had a 1-min STST under the 2.5th percentile and post-intervention only 21% had lower than this value.…”

The role of exercise in rehabilitation of discharged COVID-19 patients

“… 45 Severe or critical COIVD-19 patients after discharged, endurance exercises and muscles training for 3-week helped their functional exercise capacity. 46 Although these clinical data suggested that exercise helped the process of recovery in COVID-19 patients after discharge, subsequent data regarding exercise rehabilitation after SARS-CoV-2 infection are still limited. Accordingly, it is essential to understand the mechanism behind exercise promoting patients' rehabilitation, so as to precipitate the application of exercise in patients' rehabilitation plan.…”

Direct and Stress-Buffering Effects of COVID-19-Related Changes in Exercise Activity on the Well-Being of German Sport Students

“…For those, adapted exercise activity might be counted as a defense strategy and a preventive measure. For instance, home-based exercise can help to regulate the immune system and delay immunological aging in both non-clinical populations and COVID-19 patients [ 20 , 21 ]. Likewise, regular physical activity was associated with less distress and better well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 8 , 12 , 13 ].…”