The onset of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the first months of 2020 had a huge impact on Italian population and Healthcare System, with more than 150.000 total confirmed cases. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious new virus, causing an influenza like illness and respiratory tract infection demonstrating fever (89%), cough (68%), fatigue (38%), sputum production (34%) and/or shortness of breath (19%). The spectrum of disease severity ranges from an asymptomatic infection or mild upper respiratory tract illness (80% of cases), to 15% of cases with severe infection with fever, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath, requiring oxygen, and 5% are severe viral pneumonia with respiratory failure requiring ventilation and life support and/or death. At present, clinicians do not know the real impact of Coronavirus Disease on patients' performances, functional status and QoL. Patients admitted to hospital experience fever, cough, dyspnea, muscle soreness and/or acute respiratory distress syndrome but healthcare professionals observe also anxiety, depression and important functional limitations during hospital stay. This situation is expected to have a significant negative impact in the short term, mainly for patients affected by other medical conditions and it may lead to deconditioning, fatigue, isolation, poor functional status and QoL.~In the first months after COVID-19 outbreak, researchers focused their studies on infection epidemiology, transmission, COVID-19 diagnosis and medical treatments. As the epidemic progresses, a large part of patients is expected to come out of the acute phase, and they may need adequate rehabilitation to face functional limitations and return to previous levels of participation.~To date, the very few studies published on the rehabilitation of positive and symptomatic patients with COVID-19 focused on pulmonary rehabilitation guidelines or on implications for rehabilitation services. To our knowledge, no clinical trial on rehabilitation intervention for patients after COVID-19 is ongoing. Our research group set up an observational study to detect patients' rehabilitation needs after COVID-19, collecting data on symptoms, impairments, functional abilities and participations to social life in the first months after hospital discharge.~The aim of this observational study is to detect symptoms, disabilities, participation and the lived experience of the disease in individuals affected by COVID-19 two months after the hospital discharge.
The onset of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the first months of 2020 had a huge impact on Italian population and Healthcare System, with more than 150.000 total confirmed cases1. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious new virus, causing an influenza like illness and respiratory tract infection demonstrating fever (89%), cough (68%), fatigue (38%), sputum production (34%) and/or shortness of breath (19%).~The aim of this observational study is to detect symptoms, disabilities, participation and the lived experience of the disease in individuals affected by COVID-19 two months after the hospital discharge.