The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our health services, the population, society, and the economy. COVID-19 poses a risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death. The hospitalization of these patients can be prolonged, and they are at risk of significant loss of muscle mass and function, even in a short period of immobility. This problem can be especially relevant in elderly patients.

to verify the functional performance, quadriceps muscle strength and endurance in adults and elderly people without previous disability who were hospitalized for COVID-19 at the time of hospital discharge

This is a cross-sectional observational study, in which HU-UFSCar patients over 18 years of age were recruited at the time of hospital discharge, from August 2021 to December 2022. Anamnesis, assessment of functional performance by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and quadriceps strength and resistance by manual dynamometry.

Thirty-four patients aged 58±14 years were evaluated, 16 of whom were adults and 18 were elderly. The length of stay was 8 (3-61) days, and 11 patients were on invasive mechanical ventilation, 7 of whom were elderly. The mean functional performance was 66% predicted for adults and 44% predicted for the elderly. The 4-meter gait speed and the 5-repetition sit-to-stand test were the components with the greatest impact on the decline in the total SPPB score. Regarding quadriceps isometric muscle strength, the results found were equivalent to 65±25% of predicted, 71% in adults and 57% in the elderly. Regarding the isometric resistance of the quadriceps, the median was 54 seconds, 55 seconds for adults and 48 seconds for the elderly.

It is concluded that patients who survived COVID-19, especially the elderly, whether or not they needed intensive care, had worse functional performance, reduced strength and isometric resistance of the quadriceps.

These results reinforce the importance of the participation of the physiotherapist in the decision of the patient's hospital discharge, so that specific strategies and interventions are directed with the objective of early rehabilitation of the patient.