Symptom burden, lung function, exercise tolerance and inflammation in patients post COVID-19: results from the prospective COVID-19 Chronic Morbidity (CCHROMO) study - Scorecard - MDSpire

Symptom burden, lung function, exercise tolerance and inflammation in patients post COVID-19: results from the prospective COVID-19 Chronic Morbidity (CCHROMO) study

  • By

  • Carla Bellinghausen

  • Achim Grünewaldt

  • Tara Azem

  • Cornelius Lask

  • Wenhan Du

  • Alexander Seeger

  • Eva Herrmann

  • Ralf Schubert

  • Julia Hafner

  • Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild

  • Tobias Manuel Appel

  • Gernot Rohde

  • June 17, 2026

  • 0 min

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Clinical Scorecard: Post-COVID-19 Symptom Burden, Pulmonary Function, Exercise Capacity, and Inflammatory Markers: Findings from the CCHROMO Prospective Study

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
Condition
Key MechanismsDysregulated inflammation, autoantibodies, virus persistence, fibrotic changes, neuronal dysregulation, and emerging biomarkers.
Target Population
Care Setting

Key Highlights

  • Approximately 50% of patients showed reduced inspiratory muscle strength.
  • One-third of patients exhibited impaired exercise capacity despite preserved spirometry.
  • Lower serum concentrations of CC-16 were associated with severe fatigue, indicating potential diagnostic value.
  • Post-COVID-19 syndrome presents with multisystemic disease and broad clinical manifestations.
  • Routine spirometry may be insufficient to characterize post-COVID morbidity; consider additional assessments.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

    Management

    • Current treatment options focus on rehabilitation concepts and may include pharmacological interventions based on symptomatology.

    Monitoring & Follow-up

      Risks

        Patient & Prescribing Data

        Biomarker profiling, including CC-16, may aid in future phenotyping approaches and guide personalized treatment strategies.

        Clinical Best Practices

        • Integrate symptom assessments with pulmonary function testing, exercise capacity evaluations, and mental health screenings.
        • Consider the heterogeneity of post-COVID manifestations in clinical assessments.

        Related Resources & Content

        Original Source(s)

        Symptom burden, lung function, exercise tolerance and inflammation in patients post COVID-19: results from the prospective COVID-19 Chronic Morbidity (CCHROMO) study

        • by Carla Bellinghausen, Achim Grünewaldt, Tara Azem, Cornelius Lask, Wenhan Du, Alexander Seeger, Eva Herrmann, Ralf Schubert, Julia Hafner, Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild, Tobias Manuel Appel, Gernot Rohde

        • June 17, 2026

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