The Assessment of Functional Status Among COVID-19 Patients at Three Months Using Pulmonary Function Tests

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Infectious Diseases
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant number of patients experiencing long-term residual symptoms.
• Pulmonary fibrosis is a potential complication of severe COVID-19, leading to restrictive lung disease and increased long-term morbidity.
• Assessing functional status post-COVID-19 is crucial for patient management and rehabilitation planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate residual symptoms and functional status in patients who recovered from moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
• To assess the utility of spirometry and the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in identifying post-COVID-19 functional limitations.
• To determine the prevalence of persistent symptoms and exercise capacity deficits three months after hospital discharge.

Main Methods:

• An observational, prospective, cross-sectional study conducted in North India.
• Inclusion of 50 patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia, assessed at least three months post-discharge.
• Exclusion of individuals under 18, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac conditions.

Main Results:

• 80% of patients reported persistent symptoms, with exertional dyspnea (42%) and dyspnea at rest (32%) being most common.
• 74% of patients achieved a distance less than expected on the 6MWT, with a mean distance of 426.1 m.
• 48% of patients showed a significant fall in oxygen saturation (≥3%) post-6MWT, indicating exercise-induced desaturation.

Conclusions:

• Persistent symptoms and functional limitations are common in COVID-19 survivors, even months after recovery.
• Spirometry and 6MWT are valuable tools for assessing functional limitations in post-COVID-19 patients.
• Long-term follow-up and targeted rehabilitative measures are essential for managing moderate to severe COVID-19 survivors.