Long COVID – respiratory symptoms in non-hospitalised subjects – a cross-sectional study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Level of symptoms in Long COVID by grouping the results (in percent of predicted values). The diagram contains six graphs showing the results in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in One second (FEV1), Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP), Maximal Expiratory Pressure (MEP), physical capacity (Phys cap), and thoracic expansion (Thx exp).

Table 1. Results of included tests. Results are presented as percent predicted (mean and standard deviation) or n (%).

Variable		All	Duration of symptoms			Positive Covid-19 test
			< 6 months n = 14	>6 months n = 46	p Value	Tested n = 32	No test n = 28	p Value
FVC, % predicted		93.9 (12.1)	95.9 (8.3)	93.3 (13.1)	0.042	94.9 (11.4)	92.8 (11.4)	0.948
FEV1, % predicted		93.9 (12.3)	93.4 (10.4)	94.1 (12.9)	0.178	94.2 (13.1)	93.6 (12.8)	0.692
MIP, % predicted		82.2 (26.7)	73.1 (22.5)	85.0 (27.5)	0.145	82.9 (29.0)	81.3 (24.1)	0.829
MEP, % predicted		100.3 (31.5)	88.1 (29.7)	104.1 (31.4)	0.098	100.0 (28.3)	100.7 (3.5)	0.932
Physical capacity, % predicted		72.9 (24.4)	62.5 (25.9)	76.3 (23.2)	0.791	3 (9.4)	3 (10.7)	0.964
Desaturation (SpO2<92%), n (%)		6 (12%)	1 (7.1 %)	5 (10.9%)	0.918	3 (10.7%)	3 (9.3%)	0.960
Thoracic expansion, % predicted		75.8 (37.1)	62.7 (41.5)	78.9 (35.9)	0.502	64.5 (31.7)	88.0 (39.4)	0.263
Auscultation – secretion, n (%)		1 (1.8%)	0	1 (2.3%)	0.565	0 (9.4%)	1 (3.6%)	0.491
Auscultation – ronchi, n (%)		15 (17.2%)	2 (14.3%)	13 (28.3%)	0.239	7 (24.1%)	8 (28.6)	0.468
Pain intercostal joints, n (%)		37 (64.9)	9 (69.2%)	28 (60.9%)	0.710	18 (56.3%)	19 (70.4%)	0.295
Pain intercostal muscles, n (%)		35 (40.2%)	9 (64.2%)	27 (58.7%)	0.378	18 (56.3%)	17 (60.7%)	0.938
Breathing pattern, n (%)	Predominantly upper thx	20 (33.7%)	7 (50%	13 (28.3%)	0.242	12 (37.5%)	8 (28.6%)	0.638
	Predominantly upper and lower thx	37 (61.7%)	7 (50%)	30 (65.2%)		19 (59.4%)	18 (64.3%)
	Normal	3 (5.0%)	0	3 (6.5%)		1 (3.1%)	2 (7.1%)

Table 2. Respiratory movements in patients undergoing test with RMMI. Mean of both sides.

Tidal volume breathing				Deep breathing
Upper thoracic (mm)	Lower thoracic (mm)	Abdo-minal (mm)	Upper thoracic/Abd (%)	Upper thoracic (mm)	Lower thoracic (mm)	Abdo-minal (mm)	Upper thoracic/Abd (%)
4.5	2.8	18.1	24.9	21.8	12.9	27.3	79.7
2.2	3.0	23.4	9.4	35.1	15.4	25.0	140.3
2.9	3.1	10.5	27.9	18.1	16.2	31.3	57.7
2.5	1.4	8.2	30.3	31.6	18.5	23.4	135.1
2.5	2.5	18.2	13.6	9.9	9.9	35.3	28.1
1.9	2.3	8.7	22.1	37.3	25.9	17.9	208.5
5.3	5.1	18.2	29.3	16.7	19.7	36.5	45.9
2.2	2.4	6.7	33.3	39.9	31.4	23.9	167.1
5.7	3.6	5.4	104.1	31.2	29.2	27.2	114.8
8.5	3.6	28.3	30.1	33.6	26.0	34.7	96.8
1.9	2.2	10.2	18.8	34.3	28.6	39.9	86.0
1.9	2.8	6.9	27.1	13.0	12.1	15.8	82.0
5.9	3.9	11.7	50.4	24.0	14.8	29.3	81.9
1.8	2.8	8.1	21.7	24.7	21.0	26.2	94.2
1.8	2.7	6.6	27.6	44.1	34.3	35.7	123.5
3.0	3.4	10.4	28.5	38.6	19.7	30.0	128.6
1.5	2.6	8.5	18.3	24.1	15.5	20.3	118.5
5.0	3.9	9.9	49.9	32.0	7.4	13.7	232.6
6.0	5.6	11.7	51.3	30.6	26.6	60.5	50.6
3.2	2.4	6.0	52.9	15.7	19.4	14.6	107.9
1.6	0.8	5.0	32.9	10.2	13.3	29.7	34.3
1.3	1.0	1.4	96.0	13.5	7.1	8.5	160.1
10.5	6.4	14.8	71.0	28.0	18.7	30.7	91.2
1.2	2.2	16.9	7.1	27.8	19.6	45.7	60.8
6.0	5.0	14.5	41.7	60.2	55.6	32.1	187.3
4.5	4.8	23.3	19.4	13.6	14.2	40.4	33.5
2.6	1.6	2.9	92.5	32.3	19.0	23.6	136.8
6.5	3.9	5.9	109.3	24.3	19.4	20.7	117.5
3.1	1.7	13.6	22.9	16.0	14.6	28.6	56.0
3.1	2.6	6.1	50.1	12.4	9.8	21.8	57.0
3.3	1.6	5.2	62.9	17.8	12.1	22.8	78.0
4.2	2.4	8.7	48.7	19.6	15.3	35.1	55.9
3.9	2.8	7.0	54.9	41.3	24.5	25.2	164.0
2.7	2.1	5.2	51.6	24.1	18.8	22.2	108.5
2.2	2.0	6.5	34.3	22.1	18.9	19.6	112.4
6.5	4.9	12.7	51.0	25.4	22.2	20.5	123.6
3.5	24.2	10.4	33.9	6.7	8.1	19.4	34.4
3.9	1.5	6.8	56.4	21.1	15.8	11.8	179.1
3.7 (2.1)	3.0 (1.3)	10.6 (5.9)	42.3 (25.0)	25.6 (11.1)	19.3 (8.8)	27.0 (9.9)	104.5 (50.4)

Yellow colour represents below normal value. Abd: Abdominal.

Data availability statement

All data generated or analysed during this study were included in this published article and its supplementary information file.