[Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection: Clinical assessment and biomechanical functional evaluation one month after hospital discharge]

To describe by an observational cross-sectional study the clinical and functional situation, at one month after hospital discharge, of patients admitted with COVID-19 in the hospital ICU between March and December 2020.

59 patients were studied using different clinical scales and biomechanical analysis tests (hand dynamometry, fall risk assessment, gait and balance analysis).

At one month after discharge, patients reported persistent symptoms: dyspnea (47.5%), arthromyalgia (45%) and cough (22%). In the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire up to 73% of patients reported levels of anxiety or depression. 74.6% and 69.5% presented alterations in the strength of the right and left hand, respectively. The risk of falls in 38% of patients was moderate to very high. The somatosensory index remained within normal parameters, while the vestibular and, to a lesser extent, the visual indexes were altered. In gait, 81.4% of patients showed no abnormalities outside the normal range, with a normal average walking speed.

In the short term after severe COVID-19, patients have persistent symptomatology, anxiety/depression, impaired balance with increased risk of falls and loss of grip strength in both hands.