Innovative Program of Physical and Cardiopulmonary Conditioning in Patients After the Diagnosis of Covid-19 in a Health Institution

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 disease can cause a wide variety of long-term health problems, including impaired lung function, reduced exercise performance, and decreased quality of life. Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy, feasibility and safety of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19 and to compare the results between patients with a mild / moderate and severe / critical course of the disease. Methodology: Patients in the post-acute phase of a mild to critical course of COVID-19 admitted to a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program were included in this prospective and observational cohort study, 43 patients were included in the study (20 with mild / moderate COVID and 23 with severe / critical COVID-19). Main measures: Several measures of exercise performance, 6-minute walking distance, lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC)), and quality of life (36-question short-format health survey (SF-36 )). Results: Results: At admission, the patients had a reduced walking distance (mild median 401 m, interquartile range (IQR) 335-467 m;severe 108 m, 84-132 m), a deteriorated FVC (mild 72 % ,;severe 35%,) and a low SF-36 mental health score (mild 52 points, severe 32 points. The patients received sessions adjusted to their physical capacities, the patients of both subgroups improved in the test of 6 minute walk (mild / moderate +54 m, severe / critical +117 m, both p <0.002), FVC (mild / moderate + 8.9%, p = 0.004;severe / critical + 12, 4%, p <0.003) and mental component SF-36 (mild / moderate +6.8 points, p = 0.062;severe / critical +16.7 points, -p <0.005). Conclusions: An exercise program Well structured results in a benefit in the areas of aerobic capacity, lung volumes and quality of life, in this sense it is recommended to expand population samples to be able to apply our protocol to other centers in charge in the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients. Key Words Exercise, Coronavirus, Rehabilitation.