A Follow-Up Study of Respiratory and Physical Functions After Discharge in re-detectable positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid results in Recovered COVID-19 Patients

Wu, Qian; Hou, Xinwei; Li, Hongwei; Guo, Jing; Li, Yajie; Yang, Fangfei; Zhang, Yan; Xie, Yi; Li, Li

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the respiratory and physical functions of patients who retested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA during post-COVID-19 rehabilitation. Methods A total of 302 discharged COVID-19 patients were included. Discharged patients were followed up for 14 days to 6 months. The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, Borg rating of perceived exertion, and manual muscle testing (MMT) scores on day 14 and at 6 months after discharge were compared between the re-detectable positive (RP) and non-RP (NRP) groups. Prognoses of respiratory and physical functions were compared between patients who recovered from moderate and severe COVID-19. Results Of the patients, 7.6% were RP. The proportion of patients who used antiviral drugs was significantly lower in the RP group than in the NRP group. There were no differences in the mMRC, Borg, and MMT scores within the RP group and the NRP group. The mMRC, Borg, and MMT scores were worse for severe-type cases than for moderate-type cases at both follow-ups. Conclusion COVID-19 patients who did not take antiviral drugs were more likely to be RP after discharge. However, respiratory and physical function recovery were not related to re-positivity during rehabilitation but to disease severity during hospitalization.