Outcome

The study highlights the significant potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for treating long COVID-related fatigue and cognitive impairments. Conducted with ten patients over 12 days each receiving ten sessions at 2.4 atmospheres the therapy resulted in considerable reductions in fatigue and substantial improvements in global cognition executive function attention information processing speed and verbal function.

Introduction

Long COVID characterized by persistent symptoms following COVID-19 infection severely impacts patients’ quality of life notably through chronic fatigue and cognitive impairments. This study investigates the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a potential treatment for these debilitating symptoms. Ten patients with long COVID underwent HBOT at 2.4 atmospheres for 1 hour and 45 minutes daily over 12 sessions with a two-day break midway. Remarkably significant improvements were noted in fatigue levels and various cognitive functions including global cognition executive function attention information processing speed and verbal function with large to very large effect sizes. The absence of adverse events underscores HBOT’s promise as a safe and effective intervention for alleviating long COVID symptoms offering new hope for affected individuals.

Results

The study involved ten patients with long COVID who underwent ten sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at 2.4 atmospheres over a 12-day period with each session lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. The results demonstrated substantial improvements in both fatigue and cognitive function metrics.

Fatigue levels assessed using the Chalder fatigue scale showed a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.0059) with a very large effect size (d = 1.75). Additionally significant enhancements were observed in various cognitive domains. Global cognition improved notably (p = 0.0137; d = −1.07) as did executive function (p = 0.0039; d = −1.06) attention (p = 0.0020; d = −1.2) information processing speed (p = 0.0059; d = −1.25) and verbal function (p = 0.0098; d = −0.92) all boasting large to very large effect sizes.

Importantly throughout the study no adverse events were reported underlining HBOT’s safety as an intervention for long COVID-related symptoms. These findings suggest that HBOT could be a potent treatment option for alleviating fatigue and enhancing cognitive functions in long COVID patients offering a promising avenue for those suffering from the long-term effects of the virus.

Conclusion

In conclusion this study underscores the significant potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a treatment for long COVID-related fatigue and cognitive impairments. Key findings indicate that a regimen of 10 HBOT sessions at 2.4 atmospheres notably improved fatigue global cognition executive function attention information processing speed and verbal function with large to very large effect sizes and no reported adverse events. These results highlight HBOT not only as an effective but also a safe intervention for alleviating long COVID symptoms. This pioneering research opens new avenues for HBOT application in clinical practice and underscores the need for further extensive studies to explore its benefits and mechanisms in managing long-term effects of COVID-19.