IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i10p1383-d1502386.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Musculoskeletal, Pulmonary, and Cardiovascular COVID-19 Sequelae in the Context of Firefighter Occupational Health: A Narrative Review

Author

Listed:
  • Elliot L. Graham

    (Integrative Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
    Intestinal Health Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA)

  • Susanne D’Isabel

    (First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Physiological Sciences, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA)

  • Adriana Lofrano-Porto

    (Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory, Health Sciences School, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, DF, Brazil
    Endocrine Diseases Clinics, University Hospital of Brasilia, Brasilia 70840-901, DF, Brazil)

  • Denise L. Smith

    (First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Physiological Sciences, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA)

Abstract

For most individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, the acute illness resolves completely. However, for millions of people, symptoms or sequelae from COVID-19 recur or persist for months to years after infection. Post-COVID-19 sequelae are wide-ranging, often affecting the musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and cardiovascular systems. All who experience post-COVID-19 sequelae face significant challenges navigating home and work life. Occupations such as firefighting, however, are of particular concern given the strenuous nature of a job that relies on a healthy musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and cardiovascular system. Research has documented significant musculoskeletal impairment (including muscle weakness, pain, and fatigue), respiratory dysfunction (including reduced lung function, interstitial disease, and diffusion abnormalities), cardiovascular conditions (including cardiac events, ischemic disease, dysrhythmias, and infectious diseases), and diminished cardiorespiratory fitness that continues for months to years in some individuals. These persistent post-COVID-19 conditions may affect a firefighter’s ability to return to work, function at full capacity while at work, and potentially compromise firefighter health and public safety. This review, therefore, explores musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and cardiovascular sequelae post-COVID-19 and the impact of these sequelae on firefighter health and occupational readiness.

Suggested Citation

  • Elliot L. Graham & Susanne D’Isabel & Adriana Lofrano-Porto & Denise L. Smith, 2024. "Musculoskeletal, Pulmonary, and Cardiovascular COVID-19 Sequelae in the Context of Firefighter Occupational Health: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1383-:d:1502386
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1383/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1383/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiehui Li & James E. Cone & Robert M. Brackbill & Ingrid Giesinger & Janette Yung & Mark R. Farfel, 2019. "Pulmonary Fibrosis among World Trade Center Responders: Results from the WTC Health Registry Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Mao-Hung Liao & Ying-Ching Lai & Chih-Ming Lin, 2022. "Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hospital Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Hospital-Based Repeated Measures Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert M. Brackbill & Judith M. Graber & William A. (Allen) Robison, 2019. "Editorial for “Long-Term Health Effects of the 9/11 Disaster” in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-6, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1383-:d:1502386. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.