Investigation of Validity and Reliability of Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale

The new type of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic puts great pressure on health systems around the world. A large number of people are hospitalized in intensive care units due to acute respiratory distress syndrome due to SARS-CoV-2. Common symptoms seen with SARS-CoV-2 include fever, cough, and dyspnea, as well as pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, and even death. Many patients develop mild to moderate disease without pneumonia. The respiratory condition of some patients continues to worsen gradually and develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, which usually requires mechanical ventilation support. Exercise capacity and health status of individuals who survived severe acute respiratory distress syndrome are lower than the general population. Persistent physical, cognitive, and psychosocial disorders can be seen in people who have survived acute respiratory distress syndrome. Given the clinical and radiological heterogeneity of COVID-19, it is important to have a simple tool for the disease to monitor the course of symptoms and the impact of symptoms on patients' functional status. Klok FA et al. developed the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale (PCFS). PCFS can be evaluated for functional sequelae after discharge from the hospital, at 4 and 8 weeks after discharge, to directly monitor recovery, and at 6 months. The aim of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of PCFS in Turkish population. Research permission to investigate the validity and reliability of PCFS in the Turkish population was obtained from the developer of the PCFS.