Virtual Physical Rehabilitation for Patients Living with Long COVID

McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre132 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a timely, virtual home-based physical rehabilitation program for patients living with long COVID can improve functional mobility compared to usual care.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

132

Conditions

COVID-19 Post COVID-19 Long COVID

Interventions

Intervention Group: Virtual home-based rehabilitation plus usual outpatient careOTHER

14 supervised exercise virtual sessions with Kinesiologist and 10 independent exercise sessions. Each session lasts 40 minutes. The exercises consist of aerobic training; functional lower and upper body strengthening; balance; and flexibility exercises. During the first 10 minutes of the first session of each week, there is an educational session. Week 1-2: three supervised virtual sessions Week 3-4: two supervised virtual sessions and one independent session. Week 5-8: one supervised virtual session and two independent sessions.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: (i) adult patients (18+ years old) who have had a confirmed or probable COVID-19 infection and who have self-reported persisting symptoms of either reduced mobility, muscle weakness, dyspnea, or fatigue; (ii) participants must be technologically capable of connecting (either independently or through household members) with an online videoconferencing platform through an e-mail invitation; and (iii) be able to collaborate with the research assistant to complete the virtual assessment sessions or have a family member available to help. Exclusion Criteria: (i) pre-existing or newly identified severe cognitive impairment; (ii) inability to speak or comprehend English or French; (iii) known or self-reported acute and/or uncontrolled cardiac, musculoskeletal, or neurological condition that might render rehabilitation participation unsafe.

Locations (2)

McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Research Institute, McGill University Health Centre

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in the basic mobility domain of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC)

The AM-PAC is a validated, self-reported instrument assessing activity limitations based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Each item is scored from 1 (unable to perform) to 4 (none or no difficulty) with lower scores indicating lower levels of function.