Effect of using a structured pacing protocol on post-exertional symptom exacerbation and health status in a longitudinal cohort with the post-COVID-19 syndrome.
Parker, Megan, Sawant, Hannah Brady, Flannery, Thuvia et al.·Journal of medical virology·2023
This study tested whether a structured pacing protocol—a method that carefully matches activity levels to what your body can handle—could help people with long COVID reduce post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE), the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical, mental, or emotional effort. Over 6 weeks, 31 participants worked with a clinician via phone calls to follow a personalized pacing plan. The results showed that PESE episodes dropped significantly, from an average of 3.4 per week to 1.1 per week, and participants reported improvements in their overall quality of life.