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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Carlos EchevarriaORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Copyright ©The authors 2025. Objective: Post-COVID syndrome involves prolonged symptoms with multisystem and functional impairment lasting ≽12 weeks after acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to determine the efficacy of exercise-based rehabilitation interventions, either face-to-face or remote, compared to usual care in individuals experiencing post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation with acute COVID-19. Design: This single-blind randomised controlled trial compared two exercise-based rehabilitation interventions (face-to-face or remote) to usual care in participants with post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation. The interventions were either a face-to-face or remote 8-week programme of individually prescribed exercise and education. The primary outcome was the change in Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT) following 8 weeks of intervention (either face-to-face or remote) compared to usual care. Other secondary outcomes were measured including health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and exploratory outcomes included lymphocyte immunotyping. Results: 181 participants (55% male, mean±SD age 59±12 years, length of hospital stay 12±19 days) were randomised. There was an improvement in the ISWT distance following face-to-face rehabilitation (mean 52 m, 95% CI 19–85 m; p=0.002) and remote rehabilitation (mean 34 m, 95% CI 1–66 m; p=0.047) compared to usual care alone. There were no differences between groups for HRQoL self-reported symptoms. Analysis of immune markers revealed significant increases in naïve and memory CD8+ T-cells following face-to-face rehabilitation versus usual care alone (p<0.001, n=31). Conclusion Exercise-based rehabilitation improved short-term exercise capacity in post-COVID syndrome following an acute hospitalisation and showed potential for beneficial immunomodulatory effects.
Author(s): Daynes E, Evans RA, Greening NJ, Bishop NC, Yates T, Lozano-Rojas D, Ntotsis K, Richardson M, Baldwin MM, Hamrouni M, Hume E, McAuley H, Mills G, Megaritis D, Roberts M, Bolton CE, Chalmers JD, Chalder T, Docherty AB, Elneima O, Harrison EM, Harris VC, Ho LP, Horsley A, Houchen-Wolloff L, Leavy OC, Marks M, Poinasamy K, Quint JK, Raman B, Saunders RM, Shikotra A, Singapuri A, Sereno M, Terry S, Wain LV, Man WD-C, Echevarria C, Vogiatzis I, Brightling C, Singh SJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Respiratory Journal
Year: 2025
Volume: 65
Issue: 5
Online publication date: 22/05/2025
Acceptance date: 13/01/2025
Date deposited: 16/06/2025
ISSN (print): 0903-1936
ISSN (electronic): 1399-3003
Publisher: European Respiratory Society
URL: https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02152-2024
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02152-2024
Data Access Statement: Data can be shared with scientists upon reasonable request to the corresponding author, ensuring relevant research training evidence is provided (i.e. GCP, IG).
PubMed id: 39978856
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