Clinical and functional parameters in patients with occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the postcovid period

Introduction. Occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OCOPD) is a serious cause of disability. The SARS-CoV-2 infection has caused a new problem: a combination of OCOPD and postcovid syndrome. The task of an occupational pathologist is to identify markers of disorders in such patients and develop personalized methods of treatment and rehabilitation.

Material and methods. The clinical and functional parameters in ninety men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of occupational and non-occupational origin were analyzed: 30 OCOPD men with COVID-19, 30 OCOPD men without COVID-19, and 30 men with non-occupational COPD and COVID-19. Dyspnea (Borg scales, mMRC, CAT), spirometry (FVC, FEV1, FVC/FEV1) and quality of life (SF-36) were assessed. The three groups were compared using the Kraskel–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney method in a pairwise comparison.

Results. The CAT scores in group 1 are higher than in groups 2 and 3 (p<0.017). The degree of dyspnea on the mMRC scale in group 1 was significantly higher (p=0.01). On the Borg scale, scores in group 1 before and after exercise were higher than in group 3 (p<0.001) and group 2 after exercise (p=0.006). The FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC spirometry indices in group 1 are worse than in group 2 and 3 (p<0.001 and p=0.001; p=0.016 and p=0.007, respectively). The physical and mental components of the SF-36 quality of life in group 1 are lower than in group 2 (p=0.014 and p=0.003).

Limitations. There are quantitative limitations due to the gender of the surveyed and the design of the study.

Conclusion. A study of the clinical and functional parameters in patients with occupational and non-occupational COPD has shown that those who have suffered from COVID-19 have more pronounced symptoms: cough, sputum, shortness of breath, fatigue, sleep and breathing disorders, decreased physical activity. They also score higher on the Borg scale, which indicates to a lower stress tolerance.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee of the East Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (Minutes of meeting No. 2 dated 02/21/2023), conducted in accordance with the generally accepted scientific principles of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (ed. 2013). All participants gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.

Contribution:
Maraev M.D. – research concept and design, data collection and processing, text writing and editing;
Katamanova E.V. – writing, editing;
Beygel E.A. – writing, editing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The research was carried out within the framework of exploratory scientific research “Development of approaches to the treatment and medical rehabilitation of patients with comorbid postcovid syndrome and military personnel injured in combat” (Reg. №. 123032000011–5).

Received: November 6, 2025 / Revised: November 18, 2025 / Accepted: December 2, 2025 / Published: January 15, 2026

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