Exercise and breathing in rehabilitating long COVID

The aftermath of COVID-19 has left many people still struggling with symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue. Therefore, the post-COVID era will surely involve much consideration and research into the most effective ways to rehabilitate individuals with long COVID back to good health.

In exploring what effective rehabilitation would look like, Cheng et al (2021) recommend a comprehensive programme encompassing the promotion of functional recovery, as they note that this has been ignored by much of the guidance. They gathered together specialists for an online expert panel review, including members of the Taiwan Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The panel sought to agree on recommendations for rehabilitation protocols for the five stages. These were written in relation to the following groups (Cheng et al, 2021):

Cheng et al (2021) highlighted those who are living with known comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and respiratory disease, to be at risk of a more severe development of symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore, they recommend that outpatient programmes are home-based but use clear video instructions and telerehabilitation. The authors specify that as attending in-person may result in increased transmission of the disease, programmes would be home-based.