2 Cardiopulmonary, functional, cognitive and mental health outcomes post covid, across the range of severity of acute illness, in a physically active working age population

Introduction and PurposeThe medium-long impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on active populations is yet to be fully understood. The M-COVID study was set up to investigate cardiopulmonary, functional, cognitive, and mental health post-COVID-19 outcomes in a young, physically active working-age population, across the spectrum of acute COVID-19 severity.Material and MethodsObservational cohort study of 4 groups; hospitalised, community illness with on-going symptoms (community-symptomatic), community illness now recovered (community-recovered) and controls. Participants underwent extensive clinical assessment involving cardiopulmonary imaging, submaximal and maximal exercise testing, pulmonary function, cognitive assessment, blood tests, electrocardiogram and questionnaires on mental health and physical function (figure 1).Results113 participants (aged 39±9 and 86% male) were recruited into four groups, Hospitalised (n=35), community-symptomatic (n=34), community-recovered (n=18) and control (n=26), at 159±72days following acute illness. Hospitalized and community-symptomatic groups were older, with a higher body mass index, and worse mental health, fatigue, and quality of life scores. Hospitalised and community-symptomatic participants also performed less well on sub-maximal and maximal exercise testing (figure 2). Hospitalised individuals had impaired ventilatory efficiency (higher VE/ CO2 slope), achieved less work at the anaerobic threshold and at peak than other groups and had a significantly reduced forced vital capacity. Clinically significant abnormal cardiopulmonary imaging findings were present in 6% of hospitalised participants, lower than those seen in other studies. Those who recovered from community-based, mild-moderate COVID-19 had no significant differences when compared with controls.Abstract 2 Figure 1Diagrammatic description of study designAbbreviations: ECG, electrocardiogram; PROMS, patient reported outcome measure; CPET, cardiopulmonary exercise test; 6MWT, six-minute walk test; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging ; CMR, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; HRCT, high-resolution computed tomography; DE CTPA, dual-energy computed tomography pulmonary angiogram.[Figure omitted. See PDF]Abstract 2 Figure 2Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) variables: a) percentage predicted VO2 at VT1 and peak, b) E/ CO2 slope, c) workload (watts per kilogram) at VT1 and peak, d) resting heart rate[Figure omitted. See PDF]ConclusionRecovered indivi