Over recent months, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been confirmed in millions of people aroundthe world. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic gives rise to new psychosocial andemotional stressors for recovering patients, including social isolation, physicaldistancing, loss of employment and uncertainties about the future. This project is aimedto propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a stationary pulmonaryrehabilitation (PR) programme for COVID-19 survivors. Moreover, this project assumes theuse of virtual reality (VR) in rehabilitation processes.
COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global public health crisis. Millions of
people around the world are infected with a severe acute respiratory coronavirus, causing
COVID-19. Some of the patients with confirmed COVID-19 are admitted to hospital for acute
care due to severe respiratory symptoms and coronary artery disease and, in some cases,
even acute respiratory symptoms requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. It is highly
anticipated that some patients with COVID-19 will have a need for rehabilitation
interventions during and immediately after hospitalization. However, data on safety and
efficacy of rehabilitation during and/or after hospitalization in these patients are
lacking. The benefits of respiratory rehabilitation are well known and existing
programmes can be used as one of the referral paths for the rehabilitation of COVID-19
survivors with symptoms and/or impairment of physical functions. Many scrutinies and
systematic literature reviews show the beneficial effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in
patients with chronic respiratory diseases on exercise capacity, lung function,
respiratory muscle strength, quality of life. Therefore, we assumed that the mechanisms
leading to improvement of the psychosomatic condition will be the same as those in
COVID-19 survivors because they present with the same clinical symptoms. This project is
aimed to propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a stationary pulmonary
rehabilitation (PR) programme for COVID-19 survivors. In our project, we intend to answer
the following questions:
1. Whether participation in the 3-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme will change
the pulmonary function and exercise capacity of individuals after infection with
SARS-CoV-2?
2. Whether participation in the 3-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme will change
the mental condition of individuals after infection with SARS-CoV-2 ?
3. Whether the implementation of immersive VR therapy in a pulmonary rehabilitation
programme for post-COVID-19 patients will change the effectiveness compared to the
traditional form of rehabilitation?
Procedure: Pulmonary rehabilitation
An in-patients 3-week high intensity rehabilitation program, five times a week, was used
as the intervention treatment. A holistic pulmonary rehabilitation program for SARS-CoV-2
patients with combined treatment focused on increasing exercise capacity, restoring lung
function, and supporting mental health, developed by a multidisciplinary team, was
introduced. Rehabilitation program includes exercise capacity training on a cycle
ergometer, breathing exercises, general fitness exercises, resistance training, and
relaxation.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Women and men aged 40-60 years who were hospitalized for COVID-19.
Exclusion Criteria:
- No consent to participate,
- active pneumonia diagnosed by x-ray,
- documented heart disease (stable or unstable),
- status after CABG, PTCA,
- uncontrolled hypertension,
- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus,
- inability to exercise independently or musculoskeletal/neurological conditions that
would prevent completion of the course,
- lung cancer,
- cognitive impairment or Mini-Mental State Examination < 24.
MSWiA Specialist Hospital in Głuchołazy
Głuchołazy, Opole, Poland
Investigator: Sebastian Rutkowski, PhD
Contact: +48 507027792
s.rutkowski@po.opole.pl
Sebastian Rutkowski, PhD
+48 77 449 8326
s.rutkowski@po.edu.pl
Not Provided