EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF THE ELDERLY POST-COVID-19
Keywords: Elderly. Functional Status. COVID-19.
Introduction: COVID-19 is recognized as a respiratory disease that has high transmissibility
and global distribution, with elderly people being the group most at risk of developing complications,
with the potential for weaknesses. Objective: To evaluate the implications of COVID-19 on the functional
status of elderly people after acute infection and identify factors associated with functional impairment.
Method: The study was divided into two stages: 1) scoping review, conducted according to the method
proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The literature search took place from December 2022 to February
2023 in the Cochrane Library databases; PubMed; Scopus and Web of Science. The descriptors contained in
the Health Science Descriptors (DecS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were used; 2) descriptive,
cross-sectional study, carried out in a Primary Health Care unit in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte,
with elderly people living in the post-covid-19 community. Data were collected regarding sociodemographic
characteristics, nutritional status, lifestyle habits and health conditions, as well as the level of functional
performance. Results: 1) 817 potentially eligible studies were identified. Of these, 12 were selected because
they met the eligibility criteria. The complementary search allowed the inclusion of one more article,
totaling 13 studies that made up the final sample. Post-COVID-19 functional impairment was present in most
studies included in the sample. Factors associated with this decline included frailty and physical inactivity
prior to infection, older age, complications during infection, length of mechanical ventilation and
hospitalization, and comorbidities. 2) Among the 30 participants evaluated, a predominance of low functional
performance was observed, with correlated factors including advanced age, female gender, multimorbidities
and lack of physical activity. Final considerations: COVID-19 can cause negative outcomes in the
functionality of elderly people, even after recovery, leading to limitations in the physical performance of
activities of daily living. Therefore, the implementation of comprehensive care, structured in multidimensional
assessment, is essential.