The Nottingham recovery from COVID-19 research platform (NoRCoRP): Functional, clinical and patient-reported outcomes in adults referred to a post-COVID respiratory service

by Malik Hamrouni, Ayushman Gupta, Sophie Middleton, Sabrina Prosper, Theresa Harvey-Dunstan, Joanne Porte, Tricia M. McKeever, Ian P. Hall, Charlotte E. Bolton

To characterise symptoms, function and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and identify associated factors in adults with persisting respiratory symptoms post-COVID.

Cross-sectional analysis of 210 non-hospitalised adults referred to a post-COVID respiratory clinic (December 2020-July 2024) who consented to research. Assessments included demographics, symptoms, lung function, chest CT, and several PROMs: MRC dyspnoea score, Nijmegen Questionnaire score (NQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Chalder Fatigue Scale, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Fried Frailty Index. Multivariate logistic regression examined key exposure-outcome associations.

Among participants (mean age 49.4 years; 68% female; median 13.3 months since COVID-19 diagnosis), 95% reported shortness of breath, 54% had clinically significant breathlessness (MRC ≥ 3), 68% had an NQ score (>23) consistent with dysregulated breathing, 32% had a low SPPB score ( Conclusion

In non-hospitalised patients with persistent respiratory symptoms post-COVID, dysregulated breathing, deconditioning and psychological distress were key factors linked with symptom burden. These findings suggest a multidisciplinary approach should be considered to optimise recovery.