Physical Condition and Perceived Fatigue in Post-covid Patients: An Observational Descriptive Study

Background: Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often require hospital admission and experience sequelae such as chronic fatigue or low muscle mass.

Objective: To analyze the functional capacity of a cohort of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 who required hospitalization.

Design And Setting: An observational descriptive study was conducted on post-COVID-19 patients referred to the Rehabilitation Department of Gregorio Marañón Hospital (Madrid, SPAIN).

Methods: Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, body composition, and perception of fatigue and dyspnea were analyzed. Furthermore, the existing correlations between clinical variables and physical conditions were analyzed.

Results: Forty-two patients who required hospital admission (80 ± 22.45 days) or intensive care unit (ICU) admission (58 ± 10.52 days) were analyzed. They presented with decreased strength, respiratory capacity, and moderate-to-severe perceived fatigue. Additionally, an inverse correlation was found between right-handgrip strength and days in the ICU, as well as the 6-minute walk test for women. Similarly, strength and fitness were negatively associated with perceived fatigue.

Conclusions: Post-COVID-19 patients showed low muscle function and low levels of physical fitness associated with high perceived fatigue.