A cross-sectional study of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity of Jordanian population.

Background: Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on 11th March 2020, the public health recommendations have applied lockdowns and restrictions to limit the spread of the disease. These measures determined outdoor activities and access to many forms of exercise. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity (PA) of the Jordanian population. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was designed using Google Forms services and distributed on social media platforms during the first two weeks of November 2020 to evaluate the exercise activity changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in the study population. In this research, we included those who perform any form of physical activity (n = 1103). The data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 (IBM SPSS Corp, SPSS Statistics ver. 26, USA). The categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and proportions and were compared using the Chi-square. For all analyses, P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 1103 out of 2,511 (43.9%) respondents who participated in the survey were physically exercising during the COVID-19 pandemic. 41.8% were exercising at an irregular frequency, while 21.5% were exercising daily, 16.8% were exercising three to five times a week, and 19.9% were exercising once or twice a week. Moreover, 282 (25.6%) respondents started doing some form of exercise during the pandemic. Those significantly were less than 18-year-old, male gender, were single, were non-smokers, and had a diploma or bachelor's degree in a health-related major. These changes in the level of exercise have been attributed by 57.8% of respondents to the health aspects where they realized the importance of exercising in strengthening the immune system against diseases, including COVID-19. Conclusion: The current study showed that lockdown, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a positive impact on the healthy lifestyle of the Jordanian population which was attributed to their feeling of the importance of sports practice on the immune system and the availability of time for those activities. However, the younger and individuals were more aware of the importance of these practices which highlights the importance of considering other age groups in future studies of healthy behaviors.

A cross‐sectional study of the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on the physical activity of Jordanian population

Background Since the declaration of the COVID‐19 pandemic on 11th March 2020, the public health recommendations have applied lockdowns and restrictions to limit the spread of the disease. These measures determined outdoor activities and access to many forms of exercise. Objective The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the physical activity (PA) of the Jordanian population. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey was designed using Google Forms services and distributed on social media platforms during the first two weeks of November 2020 to evaluate the exercise activity changes during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the study population. In this research, we included those who perform any form of physical activity (n = 1103). The data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 (IBM SPSS Corp, SPSS Statistics ver. 26, USA). The categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and proportions and were compared using the Chi‐square. For all analyses, P‐value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 1103 out of 2,511 (43.9%) respondents who participated in the survey were physically exercising during the COVID‐19 pandemic. 41.8% were exercising at an irregular frequency, while 21.5% were exercising daily, 16.8% were exercising three to five times a week, and 19.9% were exercising once or twice a week. Moreover, 282 (25.6%) respondents started doing some form of exercise during the pandemic. Those significantly were less than 18‐year‐old, male gender, were single, were non‐smokers, and had a diploma or bachelor's degree in a health‐related major. These changes in the level of exercise have been attributed by 57.8% of respondents to the health aspects where they realized the importance of exercising in strengthening the immune system against diseases, including COVID‐19. Conclusion The current study showed that lockdown, due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, had a positive impact on the healthy lifestyle of the Jordanian population which was attributed to their feeling of the importance of sports practice on the immune system and the availability of time for those activities. However, the younger and individuals were more aware of the importance of these practices which highlights the importance of considering other age groups in future studies of healthy behaviors.

Coronaviruses in children: A review of potential mechanisms of childhood protection.

AIM: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and the number of cases continues to rise exponentially. Epidemiologic reports indicate that severity of illness increases with age. However, the reasons behind the relative protection of children and infants are unclear. Whether the rationale is host-related or virus dependent is important to determine since the latter could change with viral mutations. We review factors that could affect the susceptibility of children to the novel coronavirus. METHODS: We search publications indexed on PUBMED. RESULTS: Descriptions of the pathophysiology of current and previous coronavirus infections suggest several viral targets and immunomodulatory pathways affecting the severity of illness. There is limited evidence to suggest age-variability of viral cell receptors and transmembrane co-factors required for coronavirus entry and replication. However, the ensuing cytokine storm and the effect of higher melatonin in children are age-dependent and could explain decreased disease variability in children. CONCLUSION: We believe that current evidence suggests host factors can play a role in disease severity in children and thus may remain protective despite potential virus mutation in the future. However, we recognise and discuss avenues of future research that can further illuminate the reasons children are protected from severe COVID-19 illness.

SARS-CoV-2 and Coronavirus Disease 2019: What We Know So Far.

In December 2019, a cluster of fatal pneumonia cases presented in Wuhan, China. They were caused by a previously unknown coronavirus. All patients had been associated with the Wuhan Wholefood market, where seafood and live animals are sold. The virus spread rapidly and public health authorities in China initiated a containment effort. However, by that time, travelers had carried the virus to many countries, sparking memories of the previous coronavirus epidemics, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and causing widespread media attention and panic. Based on clinical criteria and available serological and molecular information, the new disease was called coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), and the novel coronavirus was called SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), emphasizing its close relationship to the 2002 SARS virus (SARS-CoV). The scientific community raced to uncover the origin of the virus, understand the pathogenesis of the disease, develop treatment options, define the risk factors, and work on vaccine development. Here we present a summary of current knowledge regarding the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes.