ArticleJournal of medical virology2023
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.
Article in Journal of medical virology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 95 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical effectiveness of rehabilitation in ambulatory care for patients with persisting symptoms after COVID-19: a systematic review.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Pooled it
- A digital platform with activity tracking for energy management support in long COVID: a randomised controlled trial.Nature communications · 2026Trial
- Cognitive and affective psychoeducation for Long COVID: a randomized controlled trial.Brain communications · 2025Trial
- Effects of a symptom-titrated exercise program on fatigue and quality of life in people with post-COVID condition - a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Personalised Health Behaviour Support Programme in Adults With Post-COVID Syndrome: A Randomised, Controlled Pilot Feasibility Trial.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Trial
- Functional Limitations and Exercise Intolerance in Patients With Post-COVID Condition: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- An open trial of biofeedback for long COVID.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2024Trial
- Considerations of race and ethnicity within rehabilitation studies for post COVID-19 condition: A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Outcomes of Patients with Neurocognitive Symptoms Attending a Long COVID Clinic: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Increased physical performance after personalised physiotherapy and nutritional counselling in adults with post-COVID-19 condition: a feasibility randomised trial.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluation of a multidisciplinary neurological rehabilitation program for the post-COVID-19 condition.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Health economic outcomes and national economic impacts associated with Long COVID in England and Scotland.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026Article
- Trajectory, healthcare utilisation and recovery in 3590 individuals with long covid: a 4-year prospective cohort analysis.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Rethinking measurement of health outcomes in Long COVID: complexities, challenges and considerations.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2026Article
- Rehabilitation strategies for long COVID: integrating human factors engineering.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Review
- Assessment and management of post-COVID-19 pulmonary complications: a rapid review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Review
- Development and validation of the rest experience scale for adults with chronically fatiguing conditions.PloS one · 2026Article
- Characterization of Post-Viral Infection Behaviors Among Patients With Long COVID: Prospective, Observational, Longitudinal Cohort Analyses of Fitbit Data and Patient-Reported Outcomes.JMIR formative research · 2025Observational
- Pursuing Reduction in Fatigue After COVID-19 via Exercise and Rehabilitation (PREFACER): a protocol for a randomised feasibility trial.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Insights into potential therapeutic approaches for long COVID.Frontiers of medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE) is a characteristic symptom of post-COVID syndrome (PCS). This prospective study investigated the effect of a 6-week structured World Health Organization (WHO) Borg CR-10 5-phase pacing protocol on PESE episodes and quality of life in a cohort of individuals with long-standing PCS (average duration of symptoms was 17 months). Participants received weekly telephone calls with a clinician to complete the Leeds PESE questionnaire (LPQ) and identify the appropriate phase of the pacing protocol. EQ-5D 5L was completed at the intervention's beginning and end to measure overall health. Thirty-one participants completed the 6-week protocol, with a statistically and clinically significant reduction in the average number of PESE episodes (from 3.4 episodes in Week 1 to 1.1 in Week 6), with an average decrease of 16% (95% CI: 9%-24%; p < 0.001) each week, and reduction across all three exertional triggers (physical, cognitive, and emotional). Physical activity levels showed moderate improvements during the intervention period. Mean EQ-5D 5L scores improved from 51.4 to 60.6 points (paired difference of 9.2 points, 95% CI: 3.2-15.2 points; p = 0.004). A structured pacing protocol significantly reduces PESE episodes and improves overall health in PCS.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.