Ill COVID-19 Research Articles

Aggressive Anticoagulation May Decrease Mortality in Obese Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

BackgroundObesity is a widely accepted risk factor for the development of severe COVID-19. We sought to determine the survival benefit of early initiation of aggressive anticoagulation in obese critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 237 intubated patients at a single academic accredited bariatric center and stratified them based on their BMI into 2 groups, obese (BMI > 30) and non-obese (BMI ≤ 30). We used chi-square tests to compare categorical variables such as age and sex, and two-sample t-tests or Mann Whitney U-tests for continuous variables, including important laboratory values. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were utilized to determine whether obesity was an independent predictor of survival and multivariable analysis was performed to compare risk factors that were deemed significant in the univariable analysis. Survival with respect to BMI and its association with level of anticoagulation in the obese cohort was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier models.ResultsThe overall mortality in the obese and non-obese groups was similar at 47% and 44%, respectively (p = 0.65). Further analysis based on the level of AC showed that obese patients placed on early aggressive AC protocol had improved survival compared to obese patients who did not receive protocol based aggressive AC (ON-aggressive AC protocol 26% versus OFF-aggressive AC protocol 61%, p = 0.0004).ConclusionsThe implementation of early aggressive anticoagulation may balance the negative effects of obesity on the overall mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.Graphical abstract

Clinical Outcomes of Convalescent Plasma Transfusion Therapy in Moderate to Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Currently, Convalescent plasma (CP)is considered a favorable treatment option for moderate to critically ill Covid-19 patients. But there were very few systematic reviews focused on the effect of CP on clinical parameters. As a result, we undertook this systematic review to learn more about the safety and clinical benefits of convalescent plasma therapy over standard treatment (control).
 Methodology: We searched Pub Med, Embase and other bibliographic databases to find relevant articles between December 2019 and February 2021 and identified 10 relevant articles which compared CP therapy taken in addition to standard medication with the Control group(who received standard medication). Two independent reviewers examined all full-text articles and extracted the required information intoa predesigned proforma. Forest plots were drawn using RevMan v.5, a statistical tool offered by the Cochrane database to estimate the pooled effect.
 Results: The results of meta-analysis using a random effect model indicated a significant reduction in mortality rate in CP (about 27% risk reduction), a reduced length of hospital stay in about 2 days (Weighted Mean Difference: -2.53, 95% CI, -7.20 to -2.14, P<0.0001), less time to improve clinical symptoms in about 4 days (pooled mean; CP:10.82 days vs Control:15.14 days). C-Reactive Protein (CRP) concentration levels (mg/L) were well controlled with the control group than the CP group and significant changes in lymphocytes and D-dimer values were not observed after CP treatment. It was also found that no difference between CP transfusion and control was seen in improving the oxygen saturationlevels.
 Conclusion: CP transfusion can be considered safe and showed a significant reduction in mortality and possible benefits in clinical improvement. Patients on CP therapy had no significant benefits in improving inflammatory markers such as CRP, lymphocytes, D-dimer, or oxygen saturation levels over standard drug therapy, according to meta-analysis data.

Extracorporeal Cytokine Removal in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series.

Introduction: Extracorporeal hemoadsorption (HA) is a potential adjunctive therapy in severe cases of COVID-19 associated pneumonia. In this retrospective study we report data from critically ill patients treated with HA during the first and second wave of the pandemic.Patients and Methods: All patients, who received HA therapy with CytoSorb within the first 96 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission without hospital-acquired bacterial superinfection, were included. Clinical and laboratory data were collected: on admission, before (TB) and after (TA) HA therapy.Results: Out of the 367 COVID-19 cases, 13 patients were treated with CytoSorb, also requiring mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. All patients were alive at the end of HA, but only 3 survived hospital stay. From TB-TA there was a tendency of decreasing norepinephrine requirement: 193.7 [IQR: 34.8–270.4] to 50.2 [6.5–243.5] ug/kg/day and increasing PaO2/FiO2 ratio 127.8 (95% CI: 96.0–159.6) to 155.0 (115.3–194.6) mmHg but they did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.14 and 0.58, respectively). Treatment related adverse events were not reported.Conclusion: The treatment was well-tolerated, and there was a tendency toward an improvement in vasopressor need and oxygenation during the course of HA. These observations render the need for prospective randomized trials.

Abstract 10482: Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibition is Associated with Reduced In-Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients with Pre-Existing Hypertension

Background: The virus responsible for COVID-19 enters human cells by binding angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. The influence of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), remains uncertain. Aim: To examine the role of ACEi / ARB exposure on outcomes in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing hypertension (HTN) admitted to intensive care units (ICU). Methods: The COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium is a prospective, observational cohort study of patients requiring ICU admission for active COVID-19 spanning 354 participating sites in 54 countries. Patients >18 years old with pre-existing HTN requiring antihypertensive therapy were analysed. Length of stay and in-hospital mortality to 90 days post ICU admission were analysed as time-to-event outcomes by multistate survival analysis, and the influence of ACEi / ARB use on the hazards of death and discharge by multi-state Cox proportional hazard modelling and sensitivity analysis. Results: From December 1, 2019 through December 30, 2020, 663 eligible patients were registered. Of these, 480 patients had received ACEi and / or ARB therapy (median age 65 years, 67% male) in the 2 weeks before ICU admission, while 183 had not (66 years, 61% male). Average lengths of ICU and general ward stays were longer in the ACEi / ARB than non-ACEi / ARB group (20.8 days and 6.5 days vs. 15.5 and 6.0 days, respectively). ACEi / ARB use was associated with a decreased hazard of death (HR, 0.69, 95% CI, 0.54 — 0.88) that persisted after adjusting for propensity scores (0.67, 0.53 — 0.86). Cumulative probabilities (unadjusted for baseline characteristics) for death and discharge post ICU admission are depicted in the figure for ACEi/ARB (red) and non-ACEi / ARB (blue) patients. Conclusions: In 663 critically ill COVID-19 patients with pre-existing HTN, RAAS inhibition pre-ICU admission was linked to reduced in-hospital mortality.

Thyroid Disfunction in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients. Relationship with In-Hospital Mortality.

The incidence of thyroid disfunction has not been analyzed in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Our objective was to analyze the relationship of the thyroid profile and in-hospital mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. This was a prospective single-center study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary University Hospital. Thyroid hormones were measured through drawing blood samples from a central venous catheter at ICU admission and on the fifth day. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the variables associated with mortality. The ability of the different thyroid hormones to predict in-hospital mortality was evaluated by calculating the receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) and the area under the curve (AUC). A total of 78 patients were included in the study at ICU admission; 72 had their thyroid profile measured at day 5. In-hospital mortality reached 29.5%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that variables associated with mortality were age and prior beta-blocker therapy at ICU admission and age fT4 at day 5. The AUC for in-hospital mortality predictions of fT4 at day 5 was 0.69. Thyroid responses are commonly observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients. fT4 at day 5 after ICU admission was associated with mortality.

Predictors of Mortality for Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Systematic Review

Objective: To identify mortality predictors of critically ill COVID-19 patients in ICU based on current available literatures.Methods: Systematic literature search was conducted in open-access databases. Data extraction was conducted for publication date, methodology employed, sample size, and results of multivariate analysis. Eligibility criteria for analysis was observational analytic design, sample size of 100 or more, and availability of multivariate results. Primary measures assessed was risk ratio, presented as odds ratio or hazard ratio. Data was analyzed qualitatively for themes that emerged for mortality predictors.Results: Several mortality predictors were identified, which included demographic, clinical history, laboratory results, and oxygenation profile at ICU admission. Several of the most consistently reported mortality predictors was older age, one or more comorbidities that constitute metabolic syndrome, chronic pulmonary disorder, low lymphocyte and platelet count, elevated d-dimer, and low PaO2/FiO2 ratio.Conclusions: Mortality predictors identified in this review were similar to previously known mortality and severity predictors of COVID-19 patients in general. This consistency may point to the potential of developing a scoring system to predict COVID-19 severity and mortality for clinical practice use.

Case Report on Adjunct Intravenous Autologous Activated Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients

In most people, COVID-19 presents as a mild disease. However, in many people, especially those with comorbidities, profound inflammation manifesting as a cytokine storm may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ failure. This novel study reports two severe COVID-19 patients from Koja Regional Hospital: a male aged 52 and a female aged 65. Both patients had poor prognoses based on prognostic biomarkers, disseminated intravascular coagulation, nosocomial infections, and were reintubated more than once. Both patients were treated with adjunct autologous activated platelet-rich plasma — a safe and promising therapy — and were ultimately discharged. Thus, this study reports the potential of autologous activated platelet-rich plasma as supportive therapy for severe COVID-19 patients.

Retrospective Study of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients With and Without Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support in Wuhan, China.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) might benefit critically ill COVID-19 patients. But the considerations besides indications guiding ECMO initiation under extreme pressure during the COVID-19 epidemic was not clear. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and in-hospital mortality of severe critically ill COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO and without ECMO, exploring potential parameters for guiding the initiation during the COVID-19 epidemic.Methods: Observational cohort study of all the critically ill patients indicated for ECMO support from January 1 to May 1, 2020, in all 62 authorized hospitals in Wuhan, China.Results: Among the 168 patients enrolled, 74 patients actually received ECMO support and 94 not were analyzed. The in-hospital mortality of the ECMO supported patients was significantly lower than non-ECMO ones (71.6 vs. 85.1%, P = 0.033), but the role of ECMO was affected by patients' age (Logistic regression OR 0.62, P = 0.24). As for the ECMO patients, the median age was 58 (47–66) years old and 62.2% (46/74) were male. The 28-day, 60-day, and 90-day mortality of these ECMO supported patients were 32.4, 68.9, and 74.3% respectively. Patients survived to discharge were younger (49 vs. 62 years, P = 0.042), demonstrated higher lymphocyte count (886 vs. 638 cells/uL, P = 0.022), and better CO2 removal (PaCO2 immediately after ECMO initiation 39.7 vs. 46.9 mmHg, P = 0.041). Age was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality of the ECMO supported patients, and a cutoff age of 51 years enabled prediction of in-hospital mortality with a sensitivity of 84.3% and specificity of 55%. The surviving ECMO supported patients had longer ICU and hospital stays (26 vs. 18 days, P = 0.018; 49 vs. 29 days, P = 0.001 respectively), and ECMO procedure was widely carried out after the supplement of medical resources after February 15 (67.6%, 50/74).Conclusions: ECMO might be a benefit for severe critically ill COVID-19 patients at the early stage of epidemic, although the in-hospital mortality was still high. To initiate ECMO therapy under tremendous pressure, patients' age, lymphocyte count, and adequacy of medical resources should be fully considered.

Plasma Renin Concentration in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Investigations of plasma renin concentration as a marker of organ perfusion in several intensive care settings have shown a significant correlation between its increase and a lack of perfusion in critical tissues, especially in septic patients. Castillo et al. proposed that activation of the non-canonical pathway of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system could improve cardiovascular homeostasis under COVID-19. During the first wave of COVID-19, we preliminarily enrolled a small cohort of subjects admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Their plasma renin value was measured in the first 24 h (T0), in the following 72 h (T1), and after one week (T2). In eight patients, we observed a higher plasma renin concentration—patients with difficulty weaning and in non-survivors. This is a preliminary observation. The variation of plasma renin levels in a septic condition is known, but settings such as COVID-19 infection have recently been investigated, showing a correlation with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor expression and functionality; in the near future, it will be interesting to have more data about its variation and value in COVID-19 patients.

Sustained Low-Efficiency Dialysis vs. Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Sustained Low-Efficiency Dialysis vs. Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

S1430 Early Enteral Nutrition Reduces In-Hospital Mortality of Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Introduction: Early enteral nutrition (EEN) is a therapeutic strategy that is used in critical illness to reduce morbidity and mortality. There is no data on the role of nutrition therapy for intubated critically ill COVID-19 patients. The aim of our study was to assess if early enteral nutrition reduced morbidity and mortality during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective chart review of COVID-19 patients >18 years who were mechanically ventilated for >48 hours at Montefiore Medical Center from March 2020 to November 2020 (n = 669) was performed. Using a landmark analysis approach, patients were divided into (1) an EEN group, defined as having enteral feeding initiated before 48 hours of mechanical ventilation; (2) delayed or no enteral nutrition ( >48 hours of mechanical ventilation). Patients who died or were extubated prior to the landmark time were excluded. Cumulative incidence curves stratified by EEN status were estimated for the primary endpoint of in-hospital death, accounting for the competing risk of discharge. Secondary analysis examined time to extubation. Cox PH models were estimated to examine the association between EEN and the hazard of death while adjusting for an a priori set of COVID-related predictors. Two-sided p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. All analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary NC, USA). Results: There were 515 patients in the EEN group and 154 patients in the delayed enteral nutrition group. EEN was associated with a lower hazard of in-hospital death (adjusted HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.63-1.0; P = 0.05). Older age, male gender, and CKD were significantly associated with a higher hazard of death. The cumulative incidence of mortality was lower in the EEN group, with an estimated incidence of 40% and 53% at 10 and 20 days compared to 47% and 60% with delayed EN. Time to extubation and hospital discharge were not associated with EEN. Conclusion: EEN helps treat critically ill patients to maintain gut integrity, modulate stress and the systemic immune response and attenuate disease severity. The lower risk of in-hospital death in the EEN group supports this therapeutic modality in critically ill intubated COVID-19 patients. Further analysis to assess barriers for EEN including prone positioning, fluid restriction, and use of vasopressors is an area of future research.Figure 1.: De Novo Patients and Patients With Prior Diagnoses of EG and/or EoD Have Significant Reductions in Symptoms Compared With Patients Given Placebo.Table 1.: Cause-specific Cox PH model for the time to death from landmark time of 48 hours post intubation.

Treatments Associated with Lower Mortality among Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients remains high. Although randomized controlled trials must continue to definitively evaluate treatments, further hypothesis-generating efforts to identify candidate treatments are required. This study's hypothesis was that certain treatments are associated with lower COVID-19 mortality. This was a 1-yr retrospective cohort study involving all COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units in six hospitals affiliated with Yale New Haven Health System from February 13, 2020, to March 4, 2021. The exposures were any COVID-19-related pharmacologic and organ support treatments. The outcome was in-hospital mortality. This study analyzed 2,070 patients after excluding 23 patients who died within 24 h after intensive care unit admission and 3 patients who remained hospitalized on the last day of data censoring. The in-hospital mortality was 29% (593 of 2,070). Of 23 treatments analyzed, apixaban (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.363 to 0.48; corrected CI, 0.336 to 0.52) and aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.87; corrected CI, 0.54 to 0.96) were associated with lower mortality based on the multivariable analysis with multiple testing correction. Propensity score-matching analysis showed an association between apixaban treatment and lower mortality (with vs. without apixaban, 27% [96 of 360] vs. 37% [133 of 360]; hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.337 to 0.69) and an association between aspirin treatment and lower mortality (with vs. without aspirin, 26% [121 of 473] vs. 30% [140 of 473]; hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.78). Enoxaparin showed similar associations based on the multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.97; corrected CI, 0.61 to 1.05) and propensity score-matching analysis (with vs. without enoxaparin, 25% [87 of 347] vs. 34% [117 of 347]; hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.367 to 0.77). Consistent with the known hypercoagulability in severe COVID-19, the use of apixaban, enoxaparin, or aspirin was independently associated with lower mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients with AKI Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy

Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients with AKI Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy

Blood Purification in a Critically Ill COVID-19 Patient with Cytokine Storm: A Case Report

Blood Purification in a Critically Ill COVID-19 Patient with Cytokine Storm: A Case Report

Evaluation of Risk Factors for Predicting Mortality in Critically Ill Adult COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background and Objective: Various risk factors have been evaluated to predict the mortality associated with COVID-19. We aim to explore and compare the clinical and laboratory risk factors with various outcomes of the disease between survivors and non-survivors amongst patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease. Methods: All COVID-19 adult (≥ 18 years old) ICU in-patients with a definite outcome i.e. either death or discharge were included. The demographic, clinical, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data were retrieved. To explore the association between factors, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were done. Results: A total of 163 patients were included out of which eight patients were shifted to other hospitals. Finally, a total of 145 patients were included in the study. Out of 145, 47 patients didn’t survive and 98 survived. A significant proportion (85%) of non-survivors were current smokers and were observed to have COPD, HT, and CAD as comorbidities when compared to the survivors. The qSOFA score, CRP, and TLC counts were included in the multivariable logistic regression with the former being the independent risk factor. Interpretation and Conclusion: Our study highlighted that older age, higher SOFA score, increased levels of total leucocyte count, and C-Reactive protein were independent risk factors affecting the clinical outcome in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients; however, qSOFA was found to be an independent risk factor predictor.

Bronchoscopy in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Findings, Microbiological Profile, and Coinfection.

Bronchoscopy is a widely use technique in critically ill patients. Nosocomial coinfections are a cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. Our aim was to describe bronchoscopy findings and analyze microbiological profile and probably coinfection through bronchial aspirate (BA) samples in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia requiring intensive care unit admission. Retrospective observational study analyzing the BA samples collected from intubated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in a referral Hospital (Spain). One hundred fifty-five consecutive BA samples were collected from 75 patients. Ninety (58%) were positive cultures for different microorganisms, 11 (7.1%) were polymicrobial, and 37 (23.7%) contained resistant microorganisms. There was a statistically significant association between increased days of orotracheal intubation and positive BA (18.9 vs. 10.9 d, P<0.01), polymicrobial infection (22.11 vs. 13.54, P<0.01) and isolation of resistant microorganisms (18.88 vs. 10.94, P<0.01). In 88% of the cases a new antibiotic or change in antibiotic treatment was made. Bronchoscopy in critically ill patient was safe and could be useful to manage these patients and conduct the microbiological study, that seems to be higher and different than in nonepidemic periods. The longer the intubation period, the greater the probability of coinfection, isolation of resistant microorganisms and polymicrobial infection.

Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Timing to Reach Energy and Protein Targets

Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Timing to Reach Energy and Protein Targets

Aspergillus Test Profiles and Mortality in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

ABSTRACTThe literature regarding COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has shown conflicting observations, including survival of CAPA patients not receiving antifungal therapy and discrepancy between CAPA diagnosis and autopsy findings. To gain insight into the pathophysiology of CAPA, we performed a case-control study in which we compared Aspergillus test profiles in CAPA patients and controls in relation to intensive care unit (ICU) mortality. This was a multinational case-control study in which Aspergillus test results, use of antifungal therapy, and mortality were collected from critically ill COVID-19 patients. Patients were classified using the 2020 European Confederation for Medical Mycology and the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ECMM/ISHAM) consensus case definitions. We analyzed 219 critically ill COVID-19 cases, including 1 proven, 38 probable, 19 possible CAPA cases, 21 Aspergillus-colonized patients, 7 patients only positive for serum (1,3)-β-d-glucan (BDG), and 133 cases with no evidence of CAPA. Mortality was 53.8% in CAPA patients compared to 24.1% in patients without CAPA (P = 0.001). Positive serum galactomannan (GM) and BDG were associated with increased mortality compared to serum biomarker-negative CAPA patients (87.5% versus 41.7%, P = 0.046; 90.0% versus 42.1%, P = 0.029, respectively). For each point increase in GM or 10-point BDG serum concentration, the odds of death increased (GM, odds ratio [OR] 10.208, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.621 to 64.291, P = 0.013; BDG, OR, 1.247, 95% CI, 1.029 to 1.511, P = 0.024). CAPA is a complex disease, probably involving a continuum of respiratory colonization, tissue invasion, and angioinvasion. Serum biomarkers are useful for staging CAPA disease progression and, if positive, indicate angioinvasion and a high probability of mortality. There is need for a biomarker that distinguishes between respiratory tract colonization and tissue-invasive CAPA disease.

Specific Risk Factors for Fatal Outcome in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: Results from a European Multicenter Study.

(1) Background: The aim of our study was to identify specific risk factors for fatal outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: Our data set consisted of 840 patients enclosed in the LEOSS registry. Using lasso regression for variable selection, a multifactorial logistic regression model was fitted to the response variable survival. Specific risk factors and their odds ratios were derived. A nomogram was developed as a graphical representation of the model. (3) Results: 14 variables were identified as independent factors contributing to the risk of death for critically ill COVID-19 patients: age (OR 1.08, CI 1.06–1.10), cardiovascular disease (OR 1.64, CI 1.06–2.55), pulmonary disease (OR 1.87, CI 1.16–3.03), baseline Statin treatment (0.54, CI 0.33–0.87), oxygen saturation (unit = 1%, OR 0.94, CI 0.92–0.96), leukocytes (unit 1000/L, OR 1.04, CI 1.01–1.07), lymphocytes (unit 100/L, OR 0.96, CI 0.94–0.99), platelets (unit 100,000/L, OR 0.70, CI 0.62–0.80), procalcitonin (unit ng/mL, OR 1.11, CI 1.05–1.18), kidney failure (OR 1.68, CI 1.05–2.70), congestive heart failure (OR 2.62, CI 1.11–6.21), severe liver failure (OR 4.93, CI 1.94–12.52), and a quick SOFA score of 3 (OR 1.78, CI 1.14–2.78). The nomogram graphically displays the importance of these 14 factors for mortality. (4) Conclusions: There are risk factors that are specific to the subpopulation of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Effectiveness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Severe and Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Controlled Study.

Background: Severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients frequently need pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) after hospitalization. However, little is known about the effectiveness of PR in COVID-19 patients. Methods: We compared the performances in the six-min walk test (6MWT), chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) from inpatient PR between 51 COVID-19 patients and 51 other patients with common pneumonia. We used multivariate linear regression controlled for baseline values at entrance, age, sex, and cumulative illness rating scale. The odds ratios (ORs) of non-improvement/improvement in 6MWT (>30-m) and CRQ (>10-point) at discharge were compared between the two groups (Fisher’s exact test). Results: The two groups had similar improvements in 6MWT and CRQ, but the COVID-19 group achieved a 4-point higher FIM (p-value = 0.004). The OR of non-improvement/improvement in 6MWT was 0.30 (p-value = 0.13) between COVID-19 and controls; however, the odds of non-improvement in CRQ tended to be 3.02 times higher (p-value = 0.075) in COVID-19 patients. Severe and critical COVID-19 patients had similar rehabilitation outcomes. Conclusions: Inpatient PR can effectively improve physical functions and life quality in COVID-19 patients, irrespective of disease severity. Whether the relatively low gains in CRQ is an indicator of chronic disease development in COVID-19 patients needs further studies.