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Special Issue "Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments, and Outcomes"

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 6488

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manoj Sivan

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Guest Editor

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK
Interests: long-term medical conditions; global health; rehabilitation technology; pain medicine; sleep medicine; outcome measurement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Occupational Medicine and Family Physician, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Interests: work related injuries; cognitive behaviour therapy; endurance sport; lifestyle changes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

IJERPH cordially invites you to contribute to this Special Issue on "Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS) or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments and Outcomes".

Long COVID refers to prolonged symptoms beyond 4 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection which are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. The term Long COVID encompasses the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s terms 'Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19' (symptoms lasting 4–12 weeks) and ‘Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS)' (symptoms beyond 12 weeks), and the World Health Organization's term 'Post-COVID-19 Condition'. It is estimated that more than 50 million individuals worldwide are struggling to cope with this condition and its effect on daily activities and quality of life.

PCS or long COVID is a multisystem condition characterised by a constellation of symptoms which may include fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, chest pain, muscle and joint pain, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, palpitations, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems, skin rashes, and allergy to food or drugs. Phenotyping studies have suggested a few condition severity clusters (mild-moderate-severe), and the possibility of symptom-specific clusters. Some individuals have a constant course, while others experience a relapsing and remitting fluctuating pattern with certain physical and cognitive activities triggering a relapse of symptoms.

This Special Issue is aimed at articles of high academic standard investigating these persistent symptoms or emerging long-term problems in the physical, psychological, and social domains. We would like to focus on the plausible mechanisms, phenotypes or symptom clusters, investigations, treatments, outcome measurement, and long-term sequelae of this novel condition. Authors can submit original research, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and interesting case series related to PCS or Long COVID.

Dr. Manoj Sivan
Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

post-COVID-19 condition
post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS)
fatigue
long haulers
chronic pain
depression
anxiety
post-traumatic stress disorder
vocation
quality of life
outcome measurement

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Physical Function and Association with Cognitive Function in Patients in a Post-COVID-19 Clinic—A Cross-Sectional Study

Durita Viderø Gunnarsson

Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak

Johanna Kølle Pedersen

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(10), 5866; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105866 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1082

Abstract

Patients with long-term health sequelae of COVID-19 (post-COVID-19 condition) experience both physical and cognitive manifestations. However, there is still uncertainty about the prevalence of physical impairment in these patients and whether there is a link between physical and cognitive function. The aim was to assess the prevalence of physical impairment and investigate the association with cognition in patients assessed in a post-COVID-19 clinic. In this cross-sectional study, patients referred to an outpatient clinic ≥ 3 months after acute infection underwent screening of their physical and cognitive function as part of a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment. Physical function was assessed with the 6-Minute Walk Test, the 30 s Sit-to-Stand Test and by measuring handgrip strength. Cognitive function was assessed with the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry and the Trail Making Test-Part B. Physical impairment was tested by comparing the patients’ performance to normative and expected values. Association with cognition was investigated using correlation analyses and the possible explanatory variables regarding physical function were assessed using regression analyses. In total, we included 292 patients, the mean age was 52 (±15) years, 56% were women and 50% had been hospitalised during an acute COVID-19 infection. The prevalence of physical impairment ranged from 23% in functional exercise capacity to 59% in lower extremity muscle strength and function. There was no greater risk of physical impairment in previously hospitalised compared with the non-hospitalised patients. There was a weak to moderate association between physical and cognitive function. The cognitive test scores had statistically significant prediction value for all three outcomes of physical function. In conclusion, physical impairments were prevalent amongst patients assessed for post-COVID-19 condition regardless of their hospitalisation status and these were associated with more cognitive dysfunction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments, and Outcomes)

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Open AccessArticle

“It Really Is an Elusive Illness”—Post-COVID-19 Illness Perceptions and Recovery Strategies: A Thematic Analysis

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13003; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013003 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

A substantial number of patients report persisting symptoms after a COVID-19 infection: so-called post-COVID-19 syndrome. There is limited research on patients’ perspectives on post-COVID-19 symptoms and ways to recover. This qualitative study explored the illness perceptions and recovery strategies of patients who had been hospitalised for COVID-19. Differences between recovered and non-recovered patients were investigated. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were held with 24 participating patients (8 recovered and 16 non-recovered) 7 to 12 months after hospital discharge. Data were interpreted using reflexive thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified: (I) symptoms after hospital discharge; (II) impact of COVID-19 on daily life and self-identity; (III) uncertainty about COVID-19; and (IV) dealing with COVID-19. Formerly hospitalised post-COVID-19 patients seem to have difficulties with making sense of their illness and gaining control over their recovery. The majority of non-recovered participants continue to suffer mostly from weakness or fatigue, dyspnoea and cognitive dysfunction. No notable differences in illness beliefs were observed between recovered and non-recovered participants Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments, and Outcomes)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Post-Viral Syndromes, Including Long COVID: A Systematic Review

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3477; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043477 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3209

Abstract

Background: Post-viral syndromes (PVS), including Long COVID, are symptoms sustained from weeks to years following an acute viral infection. Non-pharmacological treatments for these symptoms are poorly understood. This review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for PVS. Methods: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for PVS, as compared to either standard care, alternative non-pharmacological therapy, or placebo. The outcomes of interest were changes in symptoms, exercise capacity, quality of life (including mental health and wellbeing), and work capability. We searched five databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MedRxiv) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2001 to 29 October 2021. The relevant outcome data were extracted, the study quality was appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and the findings were synthesised narratively. Findings: Overall, five studies of five different interventions (Pilates, music therapy, telerehabilitation, resistance exercise, neuromodulation) met the inclusion criteria. Aside from music-based intervention, all other selected interventions demonstrated some support in the management of PVS in some patients. Interpretation: In this study, we observed a lack of robust evidence evaluating the non-pharmacological treatments for PVS, including Long COVID. Considering the prevalence of prolonged symptoms following acute viral infections, there is an urgent need for clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for patients with PVS. Registration: The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42021282074] in October 2021 and published in BMJ Open in 2022. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments, and Outcomes)

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Special Issue "Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID: Pathophysiology, Treatments, and Outcomes"

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