(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) Hong Kong PolyU Research: More than 40% of New Coronary Patients Still Have “Fatigue Syndrome” After One Year of Recovery
China News Agency, Hong Kong, March 23rd (Reporter Han Xingtong) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a press conference on the 23rd to announce a study that found that more than 40% of the new crown patients who participated in the study still had “fatigue syndrome” 12 months after diagnosis. To this end, PolyU has designed a set of “Eight Forms of Rehabilitation” training programs to help patients recovering from COVID-19 regain their health.
The new coronavirus has ravaged the world for more than two years. The World Health Organization pointed out last year that most patients with the new crown can recover, but some people will experience breathing difficulties, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction within a few months after recovery. and other symptoms, and these medium and long-term effects are collectively referred to as the “long-term effects of COVID-19” (“long-term new crown”).
PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has launched a follow-up study on COVID-19 patients since October 2020, tracking the recovery of COVID-19 patients referred from 5 local hospitals 6 months and 12 months after diagnosis . The researchers assessed their cardiorespiratory fitness, physical fitness, fatigue, and quality of life through specific tests through face-to-face and video-based tests.
The team found that more than 40% of the 118 subjects who participated in the study were still suffering from the symptoms of “long-term new crown” 6 months and 12 months after diagnosis, such as fatigue and lower limb muscle weakness. affect their daily life. Specifically, about 42% of the study subjects developed “fatigue syndrome” within 6 months of diagnosis, and about 43% of the study subjects still had “fatigue syndrome” 12 months after diagnosis. Results of the study showed that their fatigue scores did not change significantly between 6 months and 12 months after diagnosis.
PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kexie Professor of Pain Management and Associate Dean Fu Shao’e, who led the research, said that most people who have recovered from COVID-19 think they have recovered, and they take the feeling of fatigue lightly, or think that the fatigue will be worse. eased over time. After conducting different tests, they found that their fatigue symptoms were related to insufficient cardiopulmonary function and weaker muscles in the lower extremities. In fact, the situation can be improved as long as appropriate rehabilitation treatment programs are taken.
The PolyU team has developed a 6-week training program to help those who have recovered from COVID-19 regain their health. The training program includes the “Eight Forms of Rehabilitation” designed by the PolyU team, which consists of eight movements to exercise different muscle groups throughout the body and promote cardiorespiratory and muscle health. Under the guidance of PolyU physiotherapists, the rehabilitated patients participated in two training classes (60 minutes each time) and three home exercises (30 minutes each time) per week. Through different forms of exercise, they could increase lung capacity and improve muscle strength.
After completing 6 weeks of training, most of the 24 COVID-19 recoveries who participated in the training had improved lung capacity and lower limb strength, as well as improved fatigue: nearly 70 percent of them had improved lung capacity; More than 60% of adults have strengthened lower extremity muscles; three-quarters of those who have recovered from “fatigue syndrome” have returned to normal. (End)