After two years of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested that while most people who have developed COVID-19 will fully recover, some may experience a variety of post-COVID-19 symptoms months after their recovery, including breathlessness, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and more, with these mid- to long-term effects being collectively known as “long COVID.”

Funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) of the Food and Health Bureau, HKSAR Government in 2020, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) research team from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences conducted prospective research to assess the physical fitness, psychosocial functions and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in COVID-19 patients after recovery, as well as assessing their changes in the “3Rs”, namely “Rebuild fitness”, “Regain confidence” and “Resume normal life”.

The research team found that more than 40% of the 118 COVID-19 survivors who participated in the research were still suffering from the symptoms of “long COVID” including fatigue and lower limb muscle weakness, 6 and 12 months after diagnosis from COVID-19, posing a negative impact to their daily life.

To help COVID-19 survivors regain their health, a PolyU research team has developed a 6-week physical training programme. The physical training programme features “Rehab 8 Forms”. It consists of eight different movements to train various muscle groups and improve cardiorespiratory and muscle performance.