Assessment of physical activity of patients after Covid-19 disease

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the physicalactivity of patients who have suffered fromCOVID-19. The specific aim was to answerwhether there is a relationship between the level ofphysical activity and the patient's recovery fromCOVID-19.Materials and methods: The study was conductedin a private medical facility in Bialystok fromOctober 2023 to March 2024. The study involved100 people who completed an anonymous writtensurvey questionnaire. Participation in the surveywas voluntary, and the information obtained wasused in confidence, in accordance with theprovisions on the protection of personal data.Results: There was a decrease in the daily activityundertaken by 33% of the people before COVID-19and 26% after the illness. The number of peoplespending more than an hour on daily activitydecreased from 47% to 32%. Intense effort for 12%of the people was very limited and slightly limitedfor 35%. Climbing several flights of stairs was somewhat limited for 23% of respondents andmoderate effort for 21%. A faster return to pre-illness physical activity concerns the group ofpeople active before COVID-19 several times aweek (79%) and every day (76%) vs. those activeonce a week (54%) or less than once a week (55%).Additionally, half of the respondents, after COVID-19, still experience symptoms associated withphysical exertion, such as fatigue and weakness,dizziness, and shortness of breath.Conclusions: Individuals who engaged in physicalactivity before the COVID-19 pandemic resumedtheir pre-pandemic lifestyle faster. Mostrespondents (71%) declared that they had returnedto their pre-COVID physical activity, while the restadmitted that their lifestyle had become moresedentary and that they needed more time to restafter physical exertion.