Assessment of Functional Capacity in Long-COVID

Introduction: The pandemic caused by the Severe acute respiratory syndrome by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been presented as a one of the greatest health challenges on a global scale at the beginning of this millennium. Many patients need physical therapy in their recovery process. A paucity of prognostic studies in patients with long-COVID shows the need to identify the main repercussions on functional capacity in the short and medium term. In this regard, the evaluation of lung function, lung structure and functional capacity in long-COVID patients is essential to estimate the impact of the disease. Objective: The present study aims to compare functional capacity, lung function, and lung ultrasound findings between patients diagnosed with long-COVID who underwent physical therapy to those who did not. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study with quantitative data analysis. The study will be carried out at the Pulmonary Function Laboratory of the Policlínica Universitária Piquet Carneiro, from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. First, a clinical evaluation will be performed. In the survey, it will be asked whether the patient had undergone physical therapy treatment, so they can be allocated in the control or intervention group. After that, they will answer to the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale (PCFS), a tool to measure functional status over time after COVID-19. Then, patients will have their lung function evaluated through spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS). In addition, lung ultrasound (LUS) images will be analyzed. And their functional capacity will be assessed using the six-minute walk test (6MWT) coupled to pulmonary ventilation measurement using Spiropalm® (Spiropalm 6MWT, Cosmed, Rome, Italy). It is expected that understanding the consequences of long-COVID on pulmonary ventilation can help to design therapeutic strategies in rehabilitation services.