{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T15:54:11Z","timestamp":1772726051133,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"PAGEPress Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,23]],"date-time":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758585600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Monaldi Arch Chest Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Patients who have severe to critical COVID-19 infection may experience persistent or new symptoms after discharge. Our objective is to determine the first-year post-discharge respiratory and functional outcomes in patients who survived COVID-19 infection. In this prospective and observational study, we recruited Malaysians above 18 years old who survived severe or critical COVID-19 and followed them up for 1 year. Patients completed the post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale, performed the 6-minute walk test, and a standard spirometry. In the final analysis, 94 patients were included. Median age was 57 years (24,86); 55 (57.3%) were men, and 20 (20.8%) required invasive ventilation. Overall, 45 (46.9%) had underlying hypertension, 33 (34.4%) had diabetes mellitus, 43 (44.8%) had hospital-acquired infection, 19 (19.8%) had raised liver enzymes, and 17 (17.7%) suffered pulmonary embolism. From discharge to 1 year following discharge, the percentage of patients with dyspnea reduced from 51.4% to 25.0%, while patients with cough reduced from 16.2% to none, and fatigue from 20.0% to 12.5%. The percentage of patients with PCFS of 0 increased from 48.0 to 62.5%, while no more patients reported PCFS scales of 3 or 4 after 24 weeks. The median 6-minute walk distance within 1 to 8 weeks was 375.0 m (108.0, 540.0). This increased to 500.0 m (330.0, 680.0) at 41 to 48 weeks. Throughout the follow-up, the percentage of patients with normal spirometry findings increased from none at 1 to 8 weeks to 43.8% at 41 to 48 weeks. In conclusion, patients gradually regained their functional status. Follow-up for patients with persistent symptoms and abnormal spirometry is necessary to determine their long-term outcome.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4081\/monaldi.2025.3499","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,23]],"date-time":"2025-09-23T11:25:31Z","timestamp":1758626731000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Respiratory and functional outcomes among severe COVID-19 infection survivors: a prospective observational study"],"prefix":"10.4081","author":[{"given":"Syazatul Syakirin","family":"Sirol Aflah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-5253-4913","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Kamal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Normaszuhaila","family":"Ab Hamid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aminuddin Baki","family":"Amran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9856-8697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sze Chiang","family":"Lui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nurhayati","family":"Mohd Marzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zamzurina","family":"Abu Bakar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nabilah","family":"Salman Parasi Sulaiman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Noraishah","family":"Sulaiman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karuthan","family":"Chinna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Asiah","family":"Kassim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"2549","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"62991","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu Z, McGoogan JM. 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Frequency and factors associated with loss to follow-up in newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patient: a single-centre study. Reumatologia 2024;62:405-11.","DOI":"10.5114\/reum\/194158"},{"key":"63016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gamberini L, Mazzoli CA, Prediletto I, et al. Health-related quality of life profiles, trajectories, persistent symptoms and pulmonary function one year after ICU discharge in invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients, a prospective follow-up study. Respir Med 2021;189:106665.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rmed.2021.106665"},{"key":"63017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Visconti NRGdR, Cailleaux-Cezar M, Capone D, et al. Long-term respiratory outcomes after COVID-19: a Brazilian cohort study. Rev Panam Salud Publica 2022;46:e187.","DOI":"10.26633\/RPSP.2022.187"},{"key":"63018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sami R, Arabi S, Ghasemi K, et al. 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