Effects of physical rehabilitation on exercise tolerance in post-COVID patients: results of an open controlled trial

The issue of physical rehabilitation of post-COVID patients stays relevant up to this day. Most publications discuss inpatient rehabilitation and only few publications describe outpatient physical rehabilitation of such patients.

The aim. Our study was performed to investigate efficacy of outpatient physical rehabilitation of post-COVID patients with lung injury.

Methods. This was a prospective non-randomized open controlled study. All patients with COVID-19-associated lung injury were referred to supervised outpatient rehabilitation program. We analyzed 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) results, evaluation of dyspnea using Borg scale and assessment of oxygen saturation (SpO₂) using pulse oxymeter before and after walking.

Results. The rehabilitation group included 24 patients and the control group included 6 patients. The baseline and demographic findings did not differ significantly between the groups. The 6-minute distance (6-MWD) (р = 0.000018), heat rate at rest (р = 0.017) and after walking (р = 0.017), dyspnea after walking (р = 0.017), oxygen saturation at rest (р = 0.030) and after walking (р = 0.0021) improved significantly in the rehabilitation group and did not change significantly in the control group. At the end of the study, 6-MWD increased by 63.2 ± 36.3 m in the rehabilitation group compared to 14.0 ± 28.8 m in the control group (р = 0,01) and exertional dyspnea score increased by 0 (0 – 1) compared to 1 (1 – 2) in the control group (p = 0.033).

Conclusion. Supervised outpatient physical rehabilitation in outpatient settings can accelerate physical recovery in post-COVID patients with lung injury.

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