Abstract
Background
While exercise-based rehabilitation has shown to improve short-term outcomes in post-COVID syndrome following an acute hospitalisation compared to usual care (UC) (Daynes et al; Eur Respir J 2025; 10.1183/13993003.02152–2024), its long-term effects remain unclear.
Aim
To determine the long-term effects of a face-to-face (F2F) exercise-based rehabilitation programme compared to UC over a period of 26±3 months post-intervention in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors.
Methods
Participants who took part in the PHOSP-Rehabilitation RCT (ISRCTN10980107/ISRCTN13293865) comparing an 8-week supervised rehabilitation programme (consisting of individualised prescribed exercise and education) to usual care at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, were invited for a follow-up assessment. The outcomes included change in performance on the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), anxiety and depression scores (GAD-7 and PHQ-9), Quadriceps muscle force (QMVC) and handgrip strength, dyspnoea (Dyspnea-12), fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue Scale), and the short physical performance battery (SPPB) test.
Results
A total of 23 participants have completed the follow-up visit to date: 12 in the face-to-face (F2F) group (mean age: 70 ± 6 years) and 11 in the usual care (UC) group (mean age: 68 ± 10 years). A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group-by-time interaction only for the ISWT (p=0.02) and the EQ-5D-5L Utility Index (UI) (p=0.05) (figure 1). Post hoc within group analysis (Bonferroni-adjusted) revealed a significant decrease (p=0.001) in the ISWT between baseline and follow up in the UC group (by 127.14 m; 95% CI: -196.09 to -58.19), whereas the decrease in the F2F group (by -58.33 m; CI: -132.8 to 16.14) was not significant (p=0.15). No significant within-group changes were found for EQ-5D-5L UI scores. Compared to baseline, clinically meaningful improvements were observed at follow-up in QMVC in the F2F group compared to the UC group (mean difference: 5.47 kg; 95% CI: 0.68 to 10.25), and in Dyspnea-12 scores (mean difference: 4.91; 95% CI: 0.45 to 9.21).
While exercise-based rehabilitation has shown to improve short-term outcomes in post-COVID syndrome following an acute hospitalisation compared to usual care (UC) (Daynes et al; Eur Respir J 2025; 10.1183/13993003.02152–2024), its long-term effects remain unclear.
Aim
To determine the long-term effects of a face-to-face (F2F) exercise-based rehabilitation programme compared to UC over a period of 26±3 months post-intervention in previously hospitalised COVID-19 survivors.
Methods
Participants who took part in the PHOSP-Rehabilitation RCT (ISRCTN10980107/ISRCTN13293865) comparing an 8-week supervised rehabilitation programme (consisting of individualised prescribed exercise and education) to usual care at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, were invited for a follow-up assessment. The outcomes included change in performance on the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), anxiety and depression scores (GAD-7 and PHQ-9), Quadriceps muscle force (QMVC) and handgrip strength, dyspnoea (Dyspnea-12), fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue Scale), and the short physical performance battery (SPPB) test.
Results
A total of 23 participants have completed the follow-up visit to date: 12 in the face-to-face (F2F) group (mean age: 70 ± 6 years) and 11 in the usual care (UC) group (mean age: 68 ± 10 years). A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group-by-time interaction only for the ISWT (p=0.02) and the EQ-5D-5L Utility Index (UI) (p=0.05) (figure 1). Post hoc within group analysis (Bonferroni-adjusted) revealed a significant decrease (p=0.001) in the ISWT between baseline and follow up in the UC group (by 127.14 m; 95% CI: -196.09 to -58.19), whereas the decrease in the F2F group (by -58.33 m; CI: -132.8 to 16.14) was not significant (p=0.15). No significant within-group changes were found for EQ-5D-5L UI scores. Compared to baseline, clinically meaningful improvements were observed at follow-up in QMVC in the F2F group compared to the UC group (mean difference: 5.47 kg; 95% CI: 0.68 to 10.25), and in Dyspnea-12 scores (mean difference: 4.91; 95% CI: 0.45 to 9.21).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | A100-A100 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Thorax |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | Suppl 2 |
| Early online date | 2 Nov 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2025 |
| Event | British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2025 - QEII Centre, London, United Kingdom Duration: 26 Nov 2025 → 28 Nov 2025 https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/education-and-events/winter-meeting/ |
