Research Information System
SPORT SCIENCES FOR HEALTH, vol.1, pp.1-11, 2023 (ESCI)
Purpose Protective factors against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an illness caused by a new type of virus, identifed
as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), are very important because there is no 100% efective
treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the efect of physical activity levels on the subsequent symptoms and
treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Methods A total of 321 volunteers participated in the study: 169 women (age = 30.17 ± 9.22) and 152 men
(age=34.47±9.65), who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and received inpatient (n=23, age=35.74±9.69) or outpatient (n=298, age=31.94±9.61) treatment. Physical activity levels were determined by a Physical Activity Assessment
Questionnaire and participants were classifed into sedentary, low, active, and very active categories.
Results The physical activity level did not have a signifcant efect on symptom type, hospitalization, and drug use (p>0.05).
We observed that age was signifcantly higher (p<0.001), and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) was lower (p<0.05) in those
treated with medication than those recovered without medication. Body Mass Index (BMI) values of inpatients were signifcantly higher than those of outpatients. Age was lower, and BMR was higher in symptomless patients than in those
whose symptoms were persistent (more than 2 weeks) (p<0.05). As BMI increases by one unit, the probability of being a
hospitalized patient increases 1.13 times (95% CI 1.040–1.228, p<0.05). As age increases by one unit, the probability of
using drugs in the treatment increases 1.06 times (95% CI 1.028–1.088, p<0.001).
Conclusions Although there was no direct efect of physical activity level on the treatment and symptoms of COVID-19,
age, BMR, and BMI variables, which cannot be considered independently of physical activity, have efects on the treatment
and symptoms of COVID-19.