Interventions for Improving Long COVID-19 Symptomatology: A Systematic Review
Nicola Veronese,
Roberta Bonica,
Sergio Cotugno,
Ottavia Tulone,
Michele Camporeale,
Lee Smith,
Mike Trott,
Olivier Bruyere,
Luigi Mirarchi,
Giuseppina Rizzo,
Davide Fiore Bavaro,
Mario Barbagallo,
Ligia J. Dominguez,
Claudia Marotta,
Andrea Silenzi,
Emanuele Nicastri,
Annalisa Saracino,
Francesco Di Gennaro
Affiliations
Nicola Veronese
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Roberta Bonica
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Sergio Cotugno
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Ottavia Tulone
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Michele Camporeale
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Lee Smith
Centre for Health Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
Mike Trott
Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
Olivier Bruyere
WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Aspects of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging, Division of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Luigi Mirarchi
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Giuseppina Rizzo
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Davide Fiore Bavaro
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Mario Barbagallo
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Ligia J. Dominguez
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Palermo Geriatric Unit, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Claudia Marotta
General Directorate of Health Prevention, Ministry of Health, 00144 Rome, Italy
Andrea Silenzi
General Directorate of Health Prevention, Ministry of Health, 00144 Rome, Italy
Emanuele Nicastri
National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Lazzaro Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense, 292, 00149 Rome, Italy
Annalisa Saracino
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Francesco Di Gennaro
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Introduction: Although the understanding of several aspects of long COVID-19 syndrome is increasing, there is limited literature regarding the treatment of these signs and symptoms. The aim of our systematic review was to understand which therapies have proved effective against the symptoms of long COVID-19. Methods: A systematic search for randomized controlled or clinical trials in several databases was conducted through 15 May 2022. Specific inclusion criteria included: (1) intervention studies, either randomized controlled (RCTs) or clinical trials; (2) diagnosis of long COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization criteria; (3) presence of long COVID-19 for at least 12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: We initially found 1638 articles to screen. After removing 1602 works based on their title/abstract, we considered 35 full texts, and among them, two intervention studies were finally included. The first RCT focused on the greater improvement of treatment combining olfactory rehabilitation with oral supplementation with Palmitoylethanolamide and Luteolin in patients with olfactory dysfunction after COVID-19. The second study evaluated the positive impact of aromatherapy vs. standard care in adult females affected by fatigue. Conclusion: Our systematic review found only two intervention studies focused on patients affected by long COVID-19. More intervention studies are needed to investigate potentially positive interventions for long COVID-19 symptoms.
