“COVID-19 can lead to a number of lasting symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and reduced ability to engage in activities of daily living. It became apparent that a recovery or rehabilitation programme would be necessary to support those to return to normal following infection. The European Respiratory Society taskforce identified a need for a formal assessment to understand physical and emotional functioning to determine rehabilitation needs following COVID-19 infection.

30 individuals completed the COVID-19 rehabilitation program… baseline scores identified reduced exercise capacity and health related quality of life compared to healthy controls but relatively well preserved anxiety, depression and cognition… This adapted rehab program for individuals following COVID-19 has demonstrated feasibility and promising improvements in clinical outcomes… There were significant improvements in clinical outcomes of walking capacity and symptoms of fatigue, cognition and respiratory symptoms.”

– “Early experiences of rehabilitation for individuals post-COVID to improve fatigue, breathlessness exercise capacity and cognition – A cohort study” by Enya Daynes, Charlotte Gerlis, Emma Chaplin, Nikki Gardiner, and Sally J Singh April 14, 2021

At the end of the study, researchers determined that rehabilitation programs should aim to provide a holistic and multi-faceted approach to managing post-COVID symptoms. Clinicians should aim to individualize programs and to monitor adverse events and symptoms.

Stay well, mask as appropriate, and stay tuned!