{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T19:18:12Z","timestamp":1772738292542,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772668800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100020624","name":"NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100020624","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100011330","name":"Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100011330","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Charitable donation by University of Nottingham alumni","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To characterise symptoms, function and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and identify associated factors in adults with persisting respiratory symptoms post-COVID.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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\u2009\u2265\u20093), 68% had an NQ score (&gt;23) consistent with dysregulated breathing, 32% had a low SPPB score (&lt;10), and 77% were classed as frail\/pre-frail, despite the majority being of working age. Nearly half (47%) of those employed pre-infection had not returned to previous hours. Spirometry and CT abnormalities were not common. Higher body mass index (odds ratio\u2009=\u20091.10, 95% confidence interval\u2009=\u20091.05\u20131.16, n in model\u2009=\u2009190) and depression (2.25, 1.13\u20134.56, n\u2009=\u2009164) were associated with MRC\u2009\u2265\u20093. Dysregulated breathing was associated with female sex (3.63, 1.77\u20137.60, n\u2009=\u2009186), current\/ex-smoker (2.56, 1.25\u20135.47, n\u2009=\u2009186), fatigue (8.87, 2.59\u201337.0, n\u2009=\u2009162), anxiety (3.57, 1.70\u20137.69, n\u2009=\u2009162) and depression (5.70, 2.59\u201313.40, n\u2009=\u2009162). A low SPPB score was associated with female sex, current smoking, depression, clinically significant breathlessness, dysregulated breathing, and greater deprivation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0344210","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T18:34:35Z","timestamp":1772735675000},"page":"e0344210","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Nottingham recovery from COVID-19 research platform (NoRCoRP): Functional, clinical and patient-reported outcomes in adults referred to a post-COVID respiratory 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