Effect of supervised home-based training on functional outcome in severe exercise intolerance in post-COVID syndrome

Abstract

Globally, millions of people have been impacted with COVID-19. A fraction of these people develop severe respiratory distress and require prolonged intensive care unit stay. With this, and with the improving recovery rate, the numbers of post-COVID survivors are steeply increasing. This demands an early, effective, inexpensive, and safe post-COVID pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in a low available resource setting. A 56-year-old female diagnosed to have COVID-19 pneumonitis with acute respiratory distress syndrome developed severe exercise limitation after discharge, and a supervised low resource home-based PR program was initiated. The PR was followed as per the American Thoracic society/European Respiratory Society guidelines for 6 weeks with supplemental oxygen with a progressive metabolic equivalent of task level training. By the end of 6 weeks, the patient was independent in most of her self-care activities and was ambulatory in and around the house. We conclude with this case report that, by maintaining necessary precautions as recommended by the World Health Organization, PR can be delivered to remotest places with minimal resources and the outcome of this can make an individual independent in the self-care activities at the least.

Keywords

• covid-19
• critical illness
• exercise intolerance
• low-resource
• pulmonary rehabilitation