The COVID-19 pandemic affects a large number of patients with a rapid progression of respiratory failure often requiring hospitalization or intensive care unit treatment in some patients. Survivors of severe COVID-19 suffer from persistent weakness and cardiorespiratory failure. Feasibility and potential benefit of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation (CR) after COVID-19 remains unclear. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of COVID-19 patients in a single center inpatient rehabilitation clinic and describe performance and outcome during CR. Patients were referred from acute care hospitals for rehabilitation after severe COVID-19. The cohort (n=28) was divided in ventilated or not ventilated patients for further analysis. 50% were female, mean age was 66 years and patients stayed in the acute hospital for 19.3±10.7 days before referral for CR. 17 patients (61%) needed previous ICU treatment in the acute care hospital. Risk factors, assessments and questionnaires on admission were comparable in both groups. Significant enhancements were observed in 6-minute walking test and Feeling Thermometer which were independent of previous ventilation status. In conclusion, comprehensive CR following COVID-19 is safe, feasible and effective. Improvements in physical performance and subjective health status were independent of previous ventilation.

Background: Severe COVID-19 infection often leads to impairments requiring pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) following the acute phase. Little is known about the efficacy of PR in these patients. We therefore compared post-COVID-19 patients (PG) referred to PR patients with other lung diseases (LG). Methods: 99 PG were admitted to PR. In a prospective design, the results of PG were collected and compared to the results of LG of 2019 (n = 419) according to Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), 6-minute walk test (6-MWT), duration of PR, and Feeling Thermometer (FT). Results: According to age, sex, and CIRS, both groups showed no significant differences. The improvements in the 6-MWT in the pre to post comparison were on average 180 (±101) meters for PG and 102 (±89) meters for LG (p < 0.001). FT showed a significant enhancement for PG of 21 (±14) points and for LG of 17 (±16) points (p < 0.039), while FIM significantly increased by 11 (±10) points in PG and 7 (±8) points in LG (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Comprehensive PR in PG is very effective according to the results in FIM, 6-MWT and FT. Therefore, we recommend PR following severe post-COVID-19 infections.