Prevention and early treatment of COVID-19 long term effects: a randomised clinical trial of resistance exercise

Many people have long-lasting symptoms after COVID-19, such as breathlessness, fatigue and chest pain. So far, research studies of treatments for COVID-19 have focused on the life-threatening acute illness; few studies look at treatments to improve long-term health after COVID-19. COVID-19, particularly when this requires a hospital admission, can lead to weight loss and muscle wasting, contributing to worse outcomes. Muscle strengthening (resistance-based) exercise could improve outcomes in the long-term. We are looking to do two things: 1) To undertake a research trial of pragmatic resistance-based exercise for 220 people recovering from COVID-19. 2) Create a platform for rapid trials of new treatments after COVID-19. This will cut the costs of doing future trials and allow more patients the opportunity to contribute to medical research that will improve outcomes for people recovering from COVID19. Our team is multidisciplinary, multi-ethnic, gender-balanced and drawn from across NHS Scotland, and the University of Glasgow. We are currently leading the CISCO19 study, funded by the CSO, in the West of Scotland, using medical imaging of the hearts, lungs, and kidneys of patients, to understand the impact of COVID-19. We have consulted with members of the public, including people with COVID-19, in designing this study.