Investigation of the relationship between physical activity level and experienced symptoms in individuals with COVID-19

Physical activity is effective in many chronic diseases as well as in the prevention and healing process of infectious such as COVID-19. The aim of our study; to evaluate the relationship between the level of physical activity and symptoms and severity of symptoms, fatigue, sleep quality, depression and anxiety levels in individuals with COVID-19 infection and to see if there is a difference between sedentary individuals and active individuals. Eighty volunteers, aged 20-65 years, who had experienced COVID-19 infection at home and had no cooperation problems, participated in the study. Individuals participating in the study were evaluated with the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to determine COVID-19 symptoms and symptom severity, physical activity levels, fatigue level with Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), sleep quality with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Depression levels were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and anxiety states were evaluated with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Individuals were divided into two groups as Inactive-Moderately active individuals (Group 1) and very active individuals (Group 2) according to IPAQ scoring. In Group 1, 67.4% of the individuals were female and the mean age was 34.5±10 years. In Group 2, 70.3% of the participants were female and the mean age was 34.7±10 years. All data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 statistical package program. When Group 1 and Group 2 were compared, a significant difference was found in the severity of taste loss (p=0.04). There was no significant difference in the mean scores of the groups in FSS (p=0.47). There was no significant difference between the groups' mean PSQI (p=0.77). There was no significant difference between the BDI and BAI scores of the two groups (BDI; p=0.99, BAI; p=0.46). In the relationship between the physical activity levels of the groups and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, the severity of the sense of smell (r=0.510; p=0.01), nausea (r=0.963;p=0.008), shortness of breath (r=0.542;p=0.01)) in group 2 was found to be negatively correlated. A positive correlation was found with the severity of low back pain (r=0.498; p=0.01) in group 1. There was no relationship between physical activity level and the results of FSS, PSQI, BDI and BAI in both groups. As a result; It was observed that high physical activity level was effective in reducing the symptoms of COVID-19 infection and being mild. It is foreseen that physiotherapists should provide physical activity counseling in infectious diseases such as COVID-19 infection and follow the patients after the infection. Key Words: COVID-19, Physical Activity, Symptom, Fatique Approved by Başkent University Medical and Health Sciences Research Board and Ethics Committee ( Project No: KA21/133 )