Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Post-Viral Syndromes, Including Long COVID: A Systematic Review

Joht Singh Chandan (), Kirsty R. Brown, Nikita Simms-Williams, Nasir Z. Bashir, Jenny Camaradou, Dominic Heining, Grace M. Turner, Samantha Cruz Rivera, Richard Hotham, Sonica Minhas, Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar, Manoj Sivan, Kamlesh Khunti, Devan Raindi, Steven Marwaha, Sarah E. Hughes, Christel McMullan, Tom Marshall, Melanie J. Calvert, Shamil Haroon and Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi
Additional contact information
Joht Singh Chandan: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Kirsty R. Brown: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Nikita Simms-Williams: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Nasir Z. Bashir: School of Oral and Dental Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
Jenny Camaradou: School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
Dominic Heining: Department of Microbiology, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK
Grace M. Turner: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Samantha Cruz Rivera: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Richard Hotham: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Sonica Minhas: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Manoj Sivan: School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Kamlesh Khunti: Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
Devan Raindi: School of Dentistry, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B5 7EG, UK
Steven Marwaha: Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Sarah E. Hughes: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Christel McMullan: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Tom Marshall: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Melanie J. Calvert: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Shamil Haroon: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi: Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: post-viral syndromes; PVS; COVID-19; Long COVID; post-COVID-19 condition; post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC); rehabilitation; systematic review; non-pharmacological intervention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3477/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3477/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3477-:d:1070419

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().