ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the longitudinal association between physical activity and the risk of long COVID in patients who recovered from COVID-19 infection. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed longitudinal data of the Prospective Study About Mental and Physical Health cohort, a prospective cohort study with adults living in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Participants responded to an online, self-administered questionnaire in June 2020 (wave 1) and June 2022 (wave 4). Only participants who self-reported a positive test for COVID-19 were included. Physical activity was assessed before (wave 1, retrospectively) and during the pandemic (wave 1). Long COVID was assessed in wave 4 and defined as any post-COVID-19 symptoms that persisted for at least 3 months after infection. RESULTS: A total of 237 participants (75.1% women; mean age [standard deviation]: 37.1 [12.3]) were included in this study. The prevalence of physical inactivity in baseline was 71.7%, whereas 76.4% were classified with long COVID in wave 4. In the multivariate analysis, physical activity during the pandemic was associated with a reduced likelihood of long COVID (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.99) and a reduced duration of long COVID symptoms (odds ratio: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.26-0.75). Participants who remained physically active from before to during the pandemic were less likely to report long COVID (PR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.58-0.95), fatigue (PR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.32-0.76), neurological complications (PR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.27-0.80), cough (PR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.22-0.71), and loss of sense of smell or taste (PR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.21-0.87) as symptom-specific long COVID. CONCLUSION: Physical activity practice was associated with reduced risk of long COVID in adults.
ABSTRACT
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt worldwide, the tourism sector was forced to seek ways of reinventing itself. Two decades prior to this crisis, in varied rural areas and island contexts, small-scale, community-based creative tourism had appeared as a sustainable place-making solution to foster place vitality, competitive distinctiveness, regenerative development and destination resilience. From an island perspective, this article presents the theoretical framework, methodological approaches, and empirical practices of the Creatour Azores project, which was carried out in the North Atlantic archipelago of the Azores from 2019-2022. Given this timeframe, the investigators and pilot projects that implemented this research-practice project were confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic, which accentuated the isolation and remoteness that tend to characterize islandscapes, especially peripheral islands such as the Azores. At the same time, however, this devastating global pandemic, which impacted the tourism sector especially, ended up offering unexpected opportunities along with special challenges, seeming to underscore the relevance of studies focused on the isolation and remoteness that characterize islandscapes. After describing the project methodologies and practices, as well as the adjustments adopted due to the pandemic, this article considers future possibilities for creative tourism on islands, in general, and in the Azores.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, due to multiple collapses and/or narrowing of the upper airway, causing a drop in blood oxygen saturation and sleep fragmentation. Obesity, male gender, craniofacial abnormalities, tonsil hypertrophy, nasal obstruction, endocrine abnormalities, and family history are predictive factors for OSAHS. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate OSAHS through home polysomnography during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were collected between March 16, 2020, and June 25, 2021 in the city of Surubim-PE, totaling 191 subjects. The Apnea link Air portable polysomnographic device was used. With the following channels: respiratory effort, pulse, oxygen saturation, nasal flow and snoring. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 28.0 software. Results: The apnea and hypopnea index (AHI) was considered: Normal in 33 women (17.0%;2.1+1.3) and 41 men (21.2%;2.5+1.2);Mild on 18 women (9.3%;9.4+3.3) and 39 men (20.2%;8.8+3.1);Moderate in 5 women (2.5%;19.5+4.5) and 27 men (13.9%;21.4+4.7);and Severe in 8 women (4.1%;52.5+14.4) and 22 men (11.3%;51.5+17.4). The oxygen desaturation index (IDO) was, 32 women (16.5%;2.1 + 1.7) and 40 men (20.7%;2.6 + 1.1) were classified as normal;Mild in 18 women (9.3%;9.6 + 2.9) and 30 men (15.5%;8.8 + 2.8);Moderate in 6 women (3.1%;20.9 + 5.2) and 27 men (13.9%;21.4 + 4.4);and Severe in 7 women (3.6%;53.2 + 11.5) and 22 men (11.4%;50.2 + 17.3). A positive correlation was observed both between BMI and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (r=0.527;p=<0.01), as well as the BMI and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) (r=0.516;p=<0.01). There is an effect of gender (p<0.008) and age (p<0.001) on the AHI, but there is no interaction between the variables gender and age (p=0.936) A similar result was observed for the ODI, in which there is an effect of gender (p<0.009) and age (p<0.001), but not in the interaction between the two variables (p=0.948) BMI had an effect on the AHI (p<0.001) and ODI (p<0.001) but not in the interaction between BMI and gender (p=0.250 and p=0.223 respectively). Conclusion: High BMI implies higher values of AHI and ODI in the study population. Although there is an effect of gender and age on the AHI and ODI, an interaction between these two variables is not maintained when analyzed.