Table 2.
Characteristics of study population according to intervention *.
| Characteristics | Total Sample (n = 66) |
Intervention (n = 33) |
Control (n = 33) |
p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 61.0 ± 11.8 | 61.2 ± 11.1 | 60.8 ± 12.7 | 0.88 |
| Gender (female) | 29 (44) | 14 (43) | 15 (46) | 0.50 |
| Acute COVID-19 characteristics | ||||
| Hospitalization | 33 (50) | 17 (51) | 16 (48) | 0.50 |
| Pneumonia diagnosed | 27 (40) | 15 (43) | 12 (36) | 0.23 |
| Intensive care unit admission | 8 (12) | 4 (12) | 4 (12) | 0.78 |
| Oxygen therapy | 24 (36) | 14 (42) | 10 (30) | 0.12 |
| Noninvasive ventilation | 7 (10) | 4 (12) | 3 (9) | 0.54 |
| Invasive ventilation | 5 (7) | 3 (9) | 2 (6) | 0.22 |
| Length of hospital stay | 15.7 ± 10.6 | 16.4 ± 9.6 | 15.3 ± 8.8 | 0.36 |
| Post-acute COVID-19 follow-up | ||||
| Days since symptom onset | 94.2 ± 22.3 | 90.4 ± 22.5 | 96.8 ± 22.7 | 0.48 |
| Days since negative swab | 66.5 ± 19.9 | 57.9 ± 21.7 | 69.6 ± 20.1 | 0.21 |
| BMI (Kg/m2) | 24.9 ± 5.7 | 23.9 ± 3.3 | 25.8 ± 3.8 | 0.03 |
| Skeletal mass index (Kg/m2) | 7.72 ± 1.11 | 7.53 ± 1.04 | 7.91 ± 1.16 | 0.16 |
| Hang grip strength (Kg) | 30.8 ± 10.9 | 30.2 ± 11.3 | 31.4 ± 10.6 | 0.66 |
| Chair stand test (n. repetition) | 27.1 ± 10.5 | 24.7 ± 7.3 | 29.7 ± 12.8 | 0.06 |
| Six-minute walking test (meter) | 535.4 ± 86.2 | 519.8 ± 90.9 | 553.1 ± 78.7 | 0.18 |
| Quality of life (EuroQol scale) | 67.1 ± 13.5 | 63.8 ± 15.4 | 71.4 ± 10.1 | 0.15 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.12 ± 0.33 | 3.79 ± 0.27 | 4.21 ± 0.21 | 0.15 |
| Vitamin D (ng/dL) | 23.7 ± 10.2 | 20.1 ± 5.2 | 25.0 ± 10.7 | 0.27 |
* Data are given as number (percent) for gender and acute COVID-19 characteristics; for all the other variables, means ± SD are reported. BMI: Body mass index; Quality of life was assessed using EuroQol visual analogue scale, ranging from 0 (worst imaginable health) to 100 (best imaginable health).