Patients with COVID-19 may experience prolonged physical and psychological symptoms afterweeks or months of the infection. This may be caused by a combination of factorsincluding poor nutrition, low physical activity, and lack of emotional support. Leadingto poor overall health and low quality of life. This evidence indicated that people withlong COVID-19 need a personalized intervention. Our objective is to determine if the useof an online application that is based on preventive self-care and that includesnutrition and mindfulness will be feasible to use for patients with long COVID.
A Canadian web-based platform called My Viva Plan® became available. This web-based
platform is based on preventive self-care and it includes three key pillars of health:
nutrition and mindfulness.
Long COVID patients will be randomized into the following two groups; intervention arm
(will use a web-based platform for 8 weeks) vs. control arm (will not use a web-based
platform for 8 weeks).The primary aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility
(defined by recruitment, adherence, and retention) of an 8-week digital nutrition and
mindfulness self-care intervention program using My Viva Plan® versus usual care (i.e.
general advice) in patients with long COVID who continue to have signs and symptoms not
explainable by other causes. Dietary intake, physical function, body composition and
mental health variables will also be explored.
Behavioral: Web-based platform. (My Viva Plan)
Participants will use a web-based platform (i.e. My Viva Plan®) to improve physical
function, nutrition and mindfulness.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged ≥ 18 years.
- COVID diagnosed (PCR positivity) >12 weeks at time of screening and have persistent
symptoms.
- Body mass index (BMI) >18.5kg/m2 and < 35 kg/m2.
- People with long COVID syndrome diagnosis enrolled in the Kaye Edmonton Clinic.
- Have mild to moderate long COVID syndrome (Based on the Post COVID-19 Functional
Status Scale from 0-3).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with severe mobility impairment (People without sufficiently mobile to come
to the study centre).
- Diagnosis of severe mental health disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, eating
disorders).
- Individuals with pacemakers or other internal electrical medical devices.
- Suffer from claustrophobia.
- Pregnancy or lactation.
- No internet access.
- Not able to understand and communicate in English.
- Major visual or hearing impairment or other serious illness that would preclude
participation.
- Living in assisted living situations or a nursing home.
- Individuals who fell more than 3 times in the last month. Because of the risk of
doing a physical activity unsupervised.
- Not willing to make a change in their lifestyle (Readiness to change).
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Montserrat Montes de Oca, MSc
780-492-7820
mmontesd@ualberta.ca
Anne Caretero, BSc
780-492-7820
caretero@ualberta.ca
Carla Prado, PhD, Principal Investigator
University of Alberta