Fatigue in Long COVID
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Lightning Process, Activity Pacing.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Long COVID. Basic parameters: 18 years — 65 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Fatigue in Long COVID Managed With Conservative Care: An International, Randomized Controlled Trial (FALCON Trial)
Overview
Long COVID affects about 6 in 100 people after a COVID-19 infection. It can cause ongoing problems like ongoing tiredness, muscle pain, and "brain fog." We know very little about which treatments might be helpful for long COVID. The goal of this trial is to compare two treatments for people with long COVID to try to manage their symptoms. The main question is to assess whether the Lightning Process is effective for people living with long COVID compared to activity pacing. Each person will be placed into one of the two groups randomly (by chance, like flipping a coin). Activity pacing helps people balance rest and daily activities. The Lightning Process teaches ways to change thought patterns and body responses to symptoms. We will include 100 adults with long COVID. Everything will be done online, including filling out surveys about health and daily life. The goal is to find out which approach helps people feel better and improve their daily activities.
Detailed description
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented global health crisis, affecting millions globally and causing significant health and economic consequences. Although most people recover from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a substantial minority, approximately 6 to 15%, develop persistent symptoms that last for months and impair daily function, commonly referred to as post-COVID-19 condition or long COVID. Common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, myalgia, dyspnea, sleep disturbance, and cognitive dysfunction ("brain fog"). The prevalence of long COVID is difficult to establish because most symptoms are nonspecific and many data sources rely on study designs that cannot confidently attribute symptoms to prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite this uncertainty, converging evidence points to a large global burden, with \>65 million people estimated to be living with functional limitations attributed to long COVID. The Lightning Process (LP), is a mind-body training program that is hypothesized to help individuals to develop a conscious influence on their level of functioning, using practical tools such as discussion, gentle movement and meditation-like techniques. Emerging evidence suggests that gradually re-engaging long COVID patients in physical activation and modifying unhelpful beliefs may promote recovery. There are currently no established treatments for long COVID, and patients often use activity pacing to manage their symptoms. The purpose of this trial is to establish the efficacy and safety of LP vs. activity pacing in adults living with long COVID. We hypothesize that in our trial, people randomized to LP will report greater improvement in fatigue compared to those receiving activity pacing. Our trial will enroll people living with long COVID who are motivated and show willingness to change their condition through intervention. The trial will assess whether, among adults living with long COVID (post COVID-19 condition) and persistent, function limiting symptoms, LP improves fatigue and other patient important outcomes, compared to activity pacing.
The primary objective is to assess the effect of LP vs. activity pacing on fatigue among adults with long COVID.
The secondary objectives are to assess the effect of LP vs. activity pacing on
* Physical functioning * Pain severity * Post exertional malaise * Health related quality of life * Somatic symptom severity * Functional impairment * Respiratory function * Adverse events and serious adverse events
Both LP and pacing interventions span 26 weeks. Patients assigned to the LP intervention will complete a brief preparatory phase, then attend three consecutive core sessions. The LP protocol includes two follow-up calls one week apart and a booster call at week 26. Patients assigned to the pacing intervention complete 15 sessions over 24 weeks-four weekly sessions, then sessions every two weeks until week 26.
Participants will complete outcome measures at 6 months, coinciding with the immediate the end of the intervention, and at 9 and 12 months. The post-treatment time point estimates the proximal effect of LP compared to pacing, where contamination is lowest, co-interventions are least likely to diverge across arms, and any harms (e.g., post-exertional worsening) are most plausibly related to the assigned strategy.
Interventions
- Behavioral Lightning Process
LP is a mind body intervention which is delivered over 3 consecutive days to individuals or in groups via video technology. The sessions are approximately 4 hours long. Experienced LP practitioners will deliver the LP intervention remotely and individually. The intervention is comprised of a preparation phase, core sessions, and follow-up. Preparation consists of an audio home-study module (about 4 hours total) and about 1 hour of preparatory coaching by telephone or videoconference in the days - Other Activity Pacing
Activity Pacing, a self-management strategy that balances activity and rest to manage fatigue, allowing individuals to maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day. The aim of activity pacing is to avoid symptom exacerbations whilst achieving as much as possible with limited energy. Pacing focusses on developing awareness not only of the symptoms but also more subtle indicators that herald a future exacerbation of symptoms (listening to your body) and becoming aware of effect of activity
Primary outcome measures
- Fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue) [Time frame: 12 months]
Secondary outcome measures (10)
- Respiratory function (Dyspnea-12) [Time frame: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Post Exertional Malaise (De Paul Symptom Questionnaire) [Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Daily Pain (Brief Pain Inventory Short Form) [Time frame: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue) [Time frame: 6 months and 9 months]
- Physical function (SF-12) [Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Health related quality of life (EuroQol-5 Dimensions) [Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Severity of somatic symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-15) [Time frame: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Functional impairment (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) [Time frame: 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months]
- Adverse Events (AEs) [Time frame: Up to 12 months]
- Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) [Time frame: Up to 12 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- The inclusion criteria for participants are:
- Adults aged 18 to 65 years
- Meeting the WHO clinical case definition for long COVID and
- Self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, and brain fog.
- Reporting a minimum score of ≥35 on the Checklist Individual Strength CIS-fatigue domain.
- Able to speak and read English
- Scoring higher in contemplation, action or maintenance scores than the precontemplation phase on the readiness to change questionnaire
- Provides consent for study participation.
- Consistent access to an internet-connected device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop) that can facilitate access to the study interventions.
Exclusion criteria
- The exclusion criteria are:
- Long COVID participants whose presentation is primarily restricted to anosmia.
- Participants with Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) or serious organic sequelae of COVID-19, such as structural lung injury attributable to mechanical ventilation or other organ damage requiring ongoing specialist management.
- Participants who will not be able to attend intervention sessions or follow up visits due to anticipated significant life changes or relocation.
- Unable to provide informed consent (e.g. cognitive disability, language barrier)
- Co-morbidities that likely to impair function for as long or longer than long COVID
- Current participation in psychotherapy, structured physical rehabilitation (e.g., physiotherapy or occupational therapy), or another trial that does not permit co-enrollment.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07697261 · Project ID-20247