@article{Daynes_E-2025_195881,
title = {Post-Hospitalisation COVID-19 Rehabilitation (PHOSP-R): A randomised controlled trial of exercise-based rehabilitation},
author = {Daynes, E. and Evans, R. and Greening, N. and Bishop, N. and Yates, T. and Lozano-Rojas, D. and Ntotsis, K. and Richardson, M. and Baldwin, M. and Hamrouni, M. and Hume, E. and McAuley, H. and Mills, G. and Megaritis, D. and Roberts, M. and Bolton, C. and Chalmers, J. and Chalder, T. and Docherty, A. and Elneima, O. and Harrison, E. and Harris, V. and Ho, L. and Horsley, A. and Houchen-Wolloff, L. and Leavy, O. and Marks, M. and Poinasamy, K. and Quint, J. and Raman, B. and Saunders, R. and Shikotra, A. and Singapuri, A. and Sereno, M. and Terry, S. and Wain, L. and Man, W. and Echevarria, C. and Vogiatzis, I. and Brightling, C. and Singh, S.},
month = {feb},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Objective Post-COVID syndrome involves prolonged symptoms with multi-system and functional impairment lasting at least 12 weeks after acute COVID-19. We aimed to determine the efficacy of exercise-based rehabilitation interventions, either face-to-face or remote, compared to usual care in individuals experiencing Post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation of acute COVID-19. Design This single-blind randomised controlled trial compared two COVID exercise-based rehabilitation interventions (face-to-face or remote) to usual care in participants with Post-COVID syndrome following a hospitalisation. The interventions were either a face-to-face or remote eight-week program of individually prescribed exercise and education. The primary outcome was the change in Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT) following eight weeks of intervention (either face-to-face or remote) compared to usual care. Other secondary outcomes were measured including health related quality of life (HRQoL), and exploratory outcomes included lymphocyte immunotyping. Results 181 participants (55% male, mean [sd] age 59 [12] years, length of hospital stay 12 [19] days) were randomised. There was an improvement in the ISWT distance following face-to-face rehabilitation (mean 52 [95% CI 19 to 85]m, p=0·002) and remote rehabilitation (mean 34 [95% CI 1 to 66]m, p=0·047) compared to usual care alone. There were no differences between groups for HRQoL of self-reported symptoms. Analysis of immune markers revealed significant increases in naïve and memory CD8+ T cells following face-to-face rehabilitation versus usual care alone (p&lt;0·001, n=31). Conclusion Exercise-based rehabilitation improved short-term exercise capacity in Post-COVID syndrome following an acute hospitalisation and showed potential for beneficial immunomodulatory effects.},
journal = {European Respiratory Journal},
publisher = {ERS Publications},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02152-2024},
}
