Respiratory Rehabilitation in survivors of COVID-19 - a clinical study

The sequelae of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are another socio-economic problem of the pandemic. Fatigue and dyspnea are the most prevalent symptoms. It is not known whether exercise can be used to treat long-term COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an 8-week face-to-face rehabilitation program on COVID-19 compared to a remote monitoring group. The face-to-face rehabilitation group performed 8 weeks of treatment with moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise. The remote monitoring group received a booklet with general information about physical activity and health education. Fatigue and dyspnea were assessed using questionnaires and exercise capacity using a progressive walk test. A total of 37 participants (24.3% hospitalized) were evaluated before and after rehabilitation (22 subjects) or remote monitoring (15 subjects). Participants were allocated to groups according to their preferences. Both groups showed improvement in fatigue and exercise capacity. Participants in the face-to-face rehabilitation group showed improvement in dyspnea. Of the main sequelae, fatigue improves naturally, while dyspnea requires rehabilitation. Our results demonstrated the benefits of exercise for the sequelae of COVID-19.