PARIS: Among COVID patients, a lack of exercise is linked to more severe symptoms and a higher risk of death, according to a study covering nearly 50,000 people who were infected with the virus.
People physically inactive for at least two years before the pandemic were more likely to be hospitalised, to require intensive care, and to die, researchers reported on Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study found said that as a risk factor for serious COVID disease, physical inactivity was surpassed only by advanced age and a history of organ transplant. Indeed, compared to other modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity or hypertension, “physical inactivity was the strongest risk factor across all outcomes,” the authors concluded.
The pre-existing conditions most associated with severe COVID-19 infection are advanced age, being male, and having diabetes, obesity or cardiovascular disease. But up to now, a sedentary lifestyle has not been included.
To see whether a lack of exercise increases the odds of severe infection, hospitalisation, admission into an intensive care unit (ICU), and death, the researchers compared these outcomes in 48,440 adults in the United States infected with COVID-19 between January and October 2020.
The average age of patients was 47, and three out of five were women. On average, their mass-body index was 31, just above the threshold for obesity.
Intensive care
Around half had no underlying illnesses, such as diabetes, chronic lung conditions, heart or kidney disease, or cancer. Nearly 20 percent had one, and more than 30 percent had two or more. All of the patients had reported their level of regular physical activity at least three times between March 2018 and March 2020 at outpatient clinics.
Some 15 per cent described themselves as inactive (0–10 minutes of physical activity per week), nearly 80 percent reported “some activity” (11–149 minutes/week), and seven percent were consistently active in keeping with national health guidelines (150+ minutes/week). —Agencies

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