Impact of Post-COVID-19 Condition on Health Status and Functional Capacity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To assess health status and functional capacity in adults with post-COVID-19 condition. Methods: Observational, retrospective cross-sectional study. Outpatients from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of the Hospital Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal, were included. A convenient sample included 54 participants aged over 18 years old (52.4 ± 15.5 years, 61% female), with diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection at least 12 weeks before the study, persistent or new-onset symptomatology consistent with post-COVID-19 condition. Clinical assessment included the collection of symptoms (COVID-19 Questionnaire and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea scale), lung function (spirometry), functional capacity (1-minute-sit-to-stand test and the 6-minute walk test), and emotional status (Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Scale). Results: A total of 46.3% of participants reported fatigue, 29.6% dry cough, 24.1% dyspnea, 24.1% myalgia, 22.2% weakness, and 20.4% memory loss. On functional capacity, 1-minute-sit-to-stand (20.1 ± 5.7) and 6-minute walk test (483.0 ± 110.3) performances were lower than the predicted values ( P < .001). Conclusions: Adults with post-COVID condition in this study demonstrated evidence of reduced health status and functional capacity. These findings highlight the potential long-term effects of COVID-19.