Pulmonary Rehabilitation for People With Persistent Symptoms After COVID-19

Topic importance: COVID-19 can cause ongoing and persistent symptoms (such as breathlessness and fatigue) that lead to reduced functional capacity. There are parallels in symptoms and functional limitations in adults with post-COVID symptoms and adults with chronic respiratory diseases. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a key treatment for adults with chronic respiratory diseases, with the aims to improve symptom management and increase functional capacity. Given the similarities in presentation and aims, a pulmonary rehabilitation program may be optimal to meet the needs of those with ongoing symptoms after COVID-19.

Review findings: Aerobic and strength training has shown benefit for adults living with long COVID, although there is little evidence on structured education in this population. Breathing pattern disorder is common in adults with long COVID, and considerations on treatment before rehabilitation, or alongside rehabilitation, are necessary. Considerations on postexertional malaise are important in this population, and evidence from the chronic fatigue syndrome literature supports the need for individualization of exercise programs, and considerations for those who have an adverse reaction to activity and/or exercise.

Summary: This narrative review summarizes the current evidence on pulmonary rehabilitation programs in a long-COVID population. Where the evidence is lacking in long COVID the supporting evidence of these programs in chronic respiratory diseases has highlighted the importance of aerobic and strength training, considerations for fatigue, potential mechanisms for immunology improvement, and management of breathing pattern disorders in these programs.