Functional Assessment and Exercise Capacity in Post-Covid Patients, An Observational Study

Abstract Background: The salient feature of Post-acute COVID-19 is a syndrome is the persistence of clinical symptoms more than four weeks from the beginning of acute symptoms. Multiorgan effects of COVID-19, includes clinical manifestations related to the cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and neuropsychiatric systems, although the duration of these multiorgan system ef-fects is unclear. On the other hand effects of COVID-19 treat-ment/hospitalization, includes post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), resulting in extreme weakness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Aim of Study: To assess prevalence of Post COVID symp-toms, pulmonary and cardiac complication, and there relation to infection severity. This study included 50 post Covid-19 pa-tients with different severities. Each patient was subjected to full history taking about Covid illness and post covid symp-toms as dyspnea, Fatigue, palpitation, and sleep and mood dis-turbances. Also they underwent 6MWD (after 1 and 3 months), spirometry, HRCT and echo 3 months post COVID infection. Results: The post COVID symptoms (dyspnea, Fatigue, palpitation and sleep and mood disturbances) were more preva-lent in moderate and Severe COVID infections, also abnormali-ties in 6MWD, spirometry and HRCT were related to COVID severity, but echocardiography didn’t show any difference post infection. Conclusion: Moderate and Severe COVID infections are more associated with persistence of post covid symptoms than mild infection especially dyspnea and fatigue. Also, they are as-sociated with abnormalities in 6MWD, Spirometry and HRCT 3 months post infection, while mild cases are not.