Post COVID Syndrome Long Covid

In patients with post-COVID syndrome, changes in tryptophan metabolism, energy metabolism, and the gut microbiome may occur. In an earlier nutritional study, patients with COVID-19 recovered their physical performance more quickly when taking nicotinamide (vitamin B3). Patients who responded to nicotinamide also developed post-COVID syndrome less frequently. At the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, special nicotinamide tablets (CICR-NAM) were developed that release the active substance selectively in the lower intestine and have been shown to be very well tolerated in several studies. Patients with post-COVID syndrome and documented tryptophan deficiency may therefore take one tablet (500 mg) of CICR-NAM daily for up to approximately 4 months as a food for special medicinal purposes within the therapy groups of the outpatient clinic for patients with post-COVID syndrome at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel. This intake is far below the Upper Level defined by the European Food Safety Authority for lifelong daily intake (900 mg per day). Therefore, there are no safety concerns. CICR-NAM intake is intended to complement the therapy group programme by supporting energy metabolism.

Post-COVID syndrome is a condition that affects some people after recovering from the acute phase of COVID-19. Common symptoms include persistent fatigue, reduced physical capacity, and difficulties performing everyday activities, which can significantly impact quality of life and independence. At present, there is limited scientific evidence on effective rehabilitation strategies for this population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the use of a whole-body electrostimulation suit can improve fatigue, physical performance, and functional independence in people with post-COVID syndrome. Whole-body electrostimulation is a non-pharmacological technique that uses low-frequency electrical impulses to activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously and has shown potential benefits in other clinical populations. This is a randomized, double-blind, controlled pilot clinical trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which will receive active whole-body electrostimulation during functional activities, or a control group, which will follow the same sessions using the electrostimulation suit with minimal stimulation (placebo condition). Neither participants nor outcome assessors will know which group each participant belongs to. The intervention will consist of 12 supervised sessions conducted once per week. Outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention, with an additional follow-up assessment three months later. The main outcomes include fatigue levels, functional capacity, physical performance, and independence in activities of daily living. Safety and tolerance to the intervention will be monitored throughout the study. The results of this study may help to determine the feasibility and potential effectiveness of whole-body electrostimulation as a rehabilitation tool for people with post-COVID syndrome and provide preliminary data for future larger-scale clinical trials.