Association Between Functional Status and Fatigue Among Individuals Recovering from COVID-19 Infection
Keywords:
COVID-19, Fatigue, Functional Status, Post-COVID Syndrome, Pulmonary rehabilitationAbstract
Background: Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms after COVID-19. The relationship between fatigue severity and post-COVID functional status is not well studied. This study examined how fatigue relates to functional status and what factors affect these outcomes in people recovering from COVID-19. Objective: To examine the link between post-COVID-19 fatigue and functional status. Additionally, the study aims to explore other factors tied to fatigue in people recovering from COVID-19. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 344 post-COVID-19 participants. Demographic data, comorbidities, hospitalization, and exercise habits were collected. We used the PCFS scale for functional limitation, FSS for fatigue, mMRC for dyspnea, and EQ-5D-5L for quality of life. Correlations and multivariate regression identified predictors of fatigue and limitation. Results: The median PCFS grade was 1 (range 0–4). The mean FSS score was 4.5 ± 1.5. PCFS and FSS showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.48, p < 0.001). An FSS cutoff of 4.8 predicted moderate-to-severe limitation (AUC = 0.82). Female sex, COPD, high comorbidity, dyspnea, hospitalization, and low EQ-5D-5L mobility and anxiety/depression scores were linked to more fatigue and poorer status. Regular exercise before infection protected against fatigue and functional impairment. Conclusion: Fatigue impacts functional recovery after COVID-19, regardless of time since infection. Including fatigue and functional assessments in post-COVID care may help early identification and target rehabilitation.References
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