Complementary Self-help Strategies for Patients With Post-COVID-19 Syndrome

Complementary Self-help Strategies for Patients With Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Individuals affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection may subsequently be affected by the so-called post-COVID syndrome. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of a multimodal 10-week group program consisting of self-help strategies based on complementary medicine approaches of TEM (Traditional European Medicine), TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), and TIM (Traditional Indian Medicine) in addition to treatment as usual versus treatment as usual alone (no active study intervention/waiting list). Endpoints of the study include subjective quantitative and qualitative as well as objective (physician-reported) variables.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age of 18 years and older
• Confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis by: 1. polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or 2. physician's letter/medical certificate/quarantine order due to ICD-10-GM U07.1 G or ICD-10-GM U09.9 G
• Sequelae symptoms, new symptoms/disabilities, or worsening of a pre-existing medical condition that occurred in the first 3 months after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and persisted for more than 2 months
• At least 8 points (moderate symptom burden) out of a possible 32 points on the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who were treated with invasive ventilation during active SARS-CoV-2 infection
• Severe comorbid mental illness (e.g. addiction diagnosis, major depression) or other severe comorbid somatic illness (e.g. cancer without remission, severe pre-existing cardiovascular disease, insufficiency of other organs such as kidney or liver, acute febrile infection, other severe neurologic disease)
• Pregnancy or lactation
• Current pension application
• Simultaneous participation in other clinical/interventional trials