Correlation between fatigue and lung changes in patients with post-COVID-19 condition: a cross-sectional study 6-12 months after hospitalization

• Grant number: 23/17806-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: João Marcos Salge
• Grantee: Mateus Satoru Kajiwara
• Host Institution: Instituto do Coração Professor Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini (INCOR). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/01769-5 - Late assessment of physical, psychological and cognitive effects in a cohort of patients surviving COVID-19 hospitalization at a tertiary university hospital: a multidisciplinary approach, AP.TEM

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge global impact, affecting more than 700 million individuals and causing around 7 million deaths worldwide. Even after recovery from the acute phase of the disease, studies also showed a significant prevalence of pulmonary sequelae and symptoms such as fatigue and sleep disturbances months after the Sars-CoV-2 infection, characterizing the syndrome called post-COVID-19 condition. The pathophysiology of this condition has not yet been fully elucidated, but appears to involve inflammatory and immunological mechanisms, direct viral injury or damages related to intensive therapy in the acute phase. The objective of this study, based on the FACIT-F and PCFS scales, pulmonary function tests and cardiopulmonary exercise testing, is to evaluate whether there is correlation between fatigue and organic respiratory compromise presented by patients between 6 and 12 months and between 18 and 24 months after hospital discharge, in order to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms behind the post-COVID-19 condition.