The study will develop a new paradigm for patient rehabilitation needed now and in the future. The specific aims of this project are to investigate the effects of a 12-week program with cardiorespiratory exercise and Chinese herbal medicine on recovering COVID-19 patients and to collect qualitative and quantitative data to examine loneliness, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and mental health. A further aim will be to examine how Chinese herbal medicines, gut microbiome, and the metabolites regulate immune function, intestinal permeability, and possibly autoimmune deficiency (AID) in the pathological recovery/rehabilitation process.~In this multicenter, triple-blinded, randomized, parallel groups, controlled clinical trial, the investigator will recruit adult patients with COVID-19 and have been discharged from the hospital in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.~A total of 172 eligible patients will be randomized 1:1:1:1 into four groups: cardiorespiratory exercise plus Chinese herbal medicines group, cardiorespiratory exercise group, Chinese herbal medicines group, and waiting list group for 12-week (3 months) with 12-week follow-up period.~A 4-week pilot study will be conducted to test patient recruitment and maintenance, data collection, instrumentation, and observing the adaptability and practicality of the intervention. Amendments will be made if necessary.
Rehabilitation interventions can help to address the consequences of COVID-19, which include medical, physical, cognitive, and psychological related problems. The specific aims of this project are to investigate the effects of a 12-week exercise program on pulmonary fibrosis in recovering COVID-19 patients. A further aim will be to examine how Chinese herbal medicines, gut microbiome, and metabolites regulate immune function and possibly autoimmune deficiency in the rehabilitation process.