COVID-19 can result in a wide variety of chronic health issues, taking an emotional toll with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as impaired lung function, reduced exercise performance and decreased quality of life.

To evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals after hospital discharge due to COVID-19 and its relationship with sociodemographic variables, quality of life, muscle strength, and functional capacity.

This is a cross-sectional study, conducted at the Laboratory of the Federal University of Pernambuco, including individuals of both genders aged between 31 and 79 years, recovered from COVID-19 and required hospitalization. Individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and cognitive disorders were excluded.

A total of 153 individuals were deemed eligible for the study, and 60 completed the assessments. The age range ranged from 31 to 77 years, and 63.3% were female. PTSD was found in 48.3%, and 38.7% had partial symptoms; moreover, 65.5% of those with PTSD were obese and 62.1% were hypertensive. They were also more sedentary (p=0.009), were hospitalized in the ICU, and had more days hospitalized, respectively (p<0.001 and p=0.010), longer times on the TUG (p=0.014), shorter distances than those predicted in the 6MWT (p=0.001) and a reduction in all domains of the SF-36.

Individuals who recovered from COVID-19 with PTSD were characterized as being more sedentary, requiring ICU admission, more days in the hospital, presented a moderate risk of falling, had lower performance in functional capacity, and had respiratory muscle strength below the predicted values.

Analyzes of the results obtained from the study showed a marked presence of PTSD in patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19, in addition to showing a reduction in lung function, exercise performance, and impaired quality of life, even after recovery from the disease. Therefore, the results started for an early identification of the clinical conditions of the post-COVID-19 patient profile.