The effects of physiotherapy programs in COVID-19 patients during admission in the hospital

Background and aims Several recommendations exist regarding the role of physiotherapy programs (PTPs) in COVID-19 patients. However, none of the studies examines the frequency of bedside PTPs during admission. Thus, this study aimed to compare the different bedside PTPs frequencies on the survival rate, length of hospitalization (LoH), referrals to the intensive care unit (ICU), and in-hospital complications. The safety of patients and the physiotherapist was also investigated. Methods Fifty-two COVID-19 patients were equally assigned into two groups matched on gender and age (1:1 ratio). Experimental group one received 1-2 times of PTPs during hospitalization, and experimental group two received daily PTPs until hospital discharge. The primary outcomes were the survival rate, LoH, referrals to ICU, and in-hospital complications. The secondary outcomes were the adverse events for patients and the number of physiotherapists who contracted with COVID-19. Results Most participants were classified as having mild to moderate COVID-19 with a mean age of 45 years. There were no differences between groups in all primary outcome measures (all p > 0.05). The overall survival rate was 98%. One participant from the Ex-G2 group was referred to the ICU. Two Ex-G1 and four Ex-G2 participants had complications. There were no immediate serious adverse events found after PTPs for both groups. None of the physiotherapists tested positive for COVID-19. Conclusion In COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate conditions, one to two bedside PTPs were enough to achieve the same results as patients who received daily PTPs. PTPs were safe for COVID-19 patients, and physiotherapists. CLINICAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Thai Clinical Trials, https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/ , TCTR20210823004.