Use of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing to Evaluate Long COVID-19 Symptoms in Adults

JAMA – In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 38 studies comprising 2160 participants, exercise capacity was reduced by 4.9 mL/kg/min among individuals with symptoms consistent with LC compared with individuals without symptoms more than 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Findings among individuals with exertional intolerance suggest that deconditioning, dysfunctional breathing, chronotropic incompetence, and abnormal peripheral oxygen extraction and/or use may contribute to reduced exercise capacity.