TY - JOUR
T1 - Non-pharmacological therapies for post-viral syndromes, including Long COVID
T2 - a systematic review
AU - Chandan, Joht
AU - Brown, Kirsty
AU - Simms-Williams, Nikita
AU - Bashir, Nasir Zeeshan
AU - Camaradou, Jenny
AU - Heining, Dominic
AU - Turner, Grace
AU - Cruz Rivera, Samantha
AU - Hotham, Richard
AU - Minhas, Sonica
AU - Nirantharakumar, Krishnarajah
AU - Sivan, Manoj
AU - Khunti, Kamlesh
AU - Raindi, Devan
AU - Marwaha, Steven
AU - Hughes, Sarah
AU - McMullan, Christel
AU - Marshall, Tom
AU - Calvert, Melanie
AU - Haroon, Shamil
AU - Aiyegbusi, Olalekan Lee
PY - 2023/2/16
Y1 - 2023/2/16
N2 - BACKGROUND: Post-viral syndromes (PVS), including Long COVID, are symptoms sustained from weeks to years following an acute viral infection. Non-pharmacological treatments for these symptoms are poorly understood. This review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for PVS.METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for PVS, as compared to either standard care, alternative non-pharmacological therapy, or placebo. The outcomes of interest were changes in symptoms, exercise capacity, quality of life (including mental health and wellbeing), and work capability. We searched five databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MedRxiv) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2001 to 29 October 2021. The relevant outcome data were extracted, the study quality was appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and the findings were synthesised narratively.FINDINGS: Overall, five studies of five different interventions (Pilates, music therapy, telerehabilitation, resistance exercise, neuromodulation) met the inclusion criteria. Aside from music-based intervention, all other selected interventions demonstrated some support in the management of PVS in some patients.INTERPRETATION: In this study, we observed a lack of robust evidence evaluating the non-pharmacological treatments for PVS, including Long COVID. Considering the prevalence of prolonged symptoms following acute viral infections, there is an urgent need for clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for patients with PVS.REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42021282074] in October 2021 and published in BMJ Open in 2022.
AB - BACKGROUND: Post-viral syndromes (PVS), including Long COVID, are symptoms sustained from weeks to years following an acute viral infection. Non-pharmacological treatments for these symptoms are poorly understood. This review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for PVS.METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for PVS, as compared to either standard care, alternative non-pharmacological therapy, or placebo. The outcomes of interest were changes in symptoms, exercise capacity, quality of life (including mental health and wellbeing), and work capability. We searched five databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MedRxiv) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published between 1 January 2001 to 29 October 2021. The relevant outcome data were extracted, the study quality was appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and the findings were synthesised narratively.FINDINGS: Overall, five studies of five different interventions (Pilates, music therapy, telerehabilitation, resistance exercise, neuromodulation) met the inclusion criteria. Aside from music-based intervention, all other selected interventions demonstrated some support in the management of PVS in some patients.INTERPRETATION: In this study, we observed a lack of robust evidence evaluating the non-pharmacological treatments for PVS, including Long COVID. Considering the prevalence of prolonged symptoms following acute viral infections, there is an urgent need for clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological treatments for patients with PVS.REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42021282074] in October 2021 and published in BMJ Open in 2022.
KW - Review
KW - post-viral syndromes
KW - PVS
KW - COVID-19
KW - Long COVID
KW - post-COVID-19 condition
KW - post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)
KW - rehabilitation
KW - systematic review
KW - non-pharmacological intervention
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20043477
DO - 10.3390/ijerph20043477
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36834176
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 20
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 4
M1 - 3477
ER -
