Functional Limitations in Individuals With Long COVID.
Barbara Mazer, Debbie Ehrmann Feldman
PMID 36966957WHAT IT FOUND
Most people with long COVID reported substantial declines in global health, mobility, and daily activities.
Fatigue affected 94% of participants. While symptoms improved over time, functional limitations remained severe for many, highlighting a need for rehabilitation interventions.
Key findings
0194% of participants reported increased fatigue, and 90% reported deteriorated global health status compared to before infection.
02The proportion of participants working full-time or part-time dropped from 65.9% before the pandemic to 41.7% at the time of interview.
03Being unemployed was associated with moderate to severe change in mobility, and being obese was associated with moderate to severe change in personal care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The response rate was low (35%), which may limit the representativeness of the sample. Data were self-reported and relied on recall of pre-COVID status, introducing potential recall bias. The study was limited to individuals living in one medium-sized city (Laval, Quebec). Symptoms reported could be attributable to causes other than COVID-19. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or track recovery trajectories over time.
Declared interests
None declared. Research supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that functional limitations improve significantly with time. While the study noted some reduction in deficits over months, 90% of participants still reported deteriorated global health, and employment remained low at 41.7% at the time of interview, indicating persistent severe disability.