Exercise and Targeted Therapies Improve Recovery in Long COVID

A recent meta-analysis published in eClinicalMedicine evaluated the effectiveness of various therapies for long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID), a condition marked by persistent multi-organ symptoms after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. 

The study included 51 randomized controlled trials with 4,026 participants, assessing exercise training, telerehabilitation,  palmitoylethanolamide with luteolin (PEA-LUT), respiratory muscle training, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), olfactory training, and steroid sprays in adults with Long COVID.

Exercise training improved cardiopulmonary function and exercise capacity. Respiratory muscle training improved respiratory strength, while PEA-LUT helped with anosmia. Telerehabilitation elevated effectiveness, and tDCS provided modest improvements in fatigue. However, steroid sprays and olfactory training showed limited efficacy.

The study supports prioritizing exercise training for improving overall function in long COVID, with targeted interventions for addressing specific symptoms.

Reference:

Tan C, Meng JH, Dai X, He B, Liu P, Wu YM, Xiong YL, Yin H, Wang S, Gao SG. Effects of Therapeutic Interventions on Long COVID: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Available at SSRN 5242652.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(25)00344-X/fulltext