Introduction
chronic respiratory diseases, SARS-CoV-2 infection, fatigue, shortness of breath
VIRUS, SEQUELAE, SARS-COV-2 INFECTION, CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE
Over recent years, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been confirmed in millions of people around the world. The virus spreads mainly through the respiratory tract (especially from droplets arising from coughing, sneezing, and talking) and through contaminated surfaces and biological substances (In the initial phase of the epidemic, very few people were diagnosed. Those who were hospitalized had health-threatening “severe” symptoms. In addition to the hospitalized patients with “severe” COVID-19, millions of people have most probably been infected with SARS-CoV-2 without formal COVID-19 testing and/or medical treatment in the hospital (The benefits of respiratory rehabilitation are well-known and existing programmes can be used as one of the referral paths for the rehabilitation of COVID-19 survivors with symptoms and/or impairment of physical functions. Many systematic literature reviews show the beneficial effect of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases on exercise capacity (The use of virtual reality (VR) in pulmonary rehabilitation programs has been reported for several years in the research literature. VR presents engaging scenarios that can shift attention, distracting the patient from negative sensations (e.g., fatigue and shortness of breath) during physical activity (The aim of this study was to propose an innovative comprehensive intervention based on a pulmonary rehabilitation programme for patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. Moreover, this project evaluates the use of VR in the rehabilitation processes. This study aims to address the following hypotheses:1. Participation in the 3-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme will improve the pulmonary function and exercise capacity of individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.2. Participation in the 3-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme will improve the stress level of individuals post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.