ABSTRACT
The present study investigated the short-term effects of using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and physical workload intensity on human physiological and cognitive performance among 21 males and 19 females. PPE1 consisted of a medical coverall and surgical mask, while PPE2 consisted of impermeable full-body coverall, shoe covers, latex gloves, N95 mask, and face shield. Objective assessments were heart rate, energy expenditure, core body temperature, clothing microclimate temperature and humidity, and cognitive performance were the continuous performance test and N-Back test. Subjective assessments included thermal sensation, perceived fatigue/skin wetness/clothing moisture. Using PPE2 and increased workload intensity significantly increased the values of all physiological parameters and the subjective ratings of fatigue, thermal sensation, skin wetness, and clothing moisture. Moreover, the participants' cognitive performance was not affected by the type of PPE.Practitioner summary: Healthcare workers are at the highest risk in the fight against pandemics. Therefore, these people are required to use personal protective equipment. Using this equipment may have difficulties. The results show physiological strain and higher subjective ratings associated with using full-body hospital PPE and increased physical workload.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, N95 respirators were commonly used in many situations. Respiratory problems from prolonged use of respirators were discussed in many studies, which show varied results. From the inconclusive results, the current systematic review and meta-analysis discerned the effects of the N95 respirator by assessing the oxygen and carbon dioxide changes in both high- and low-to-moderate-intensity physical activities in a healthy population. Thirteen studies were identified for inclusion in the study. In high-intensity physical activities, our meta-analysis showed borderline lower oxygen saturation and higher carbon dioxide partial pressure, but oxygen saturation did not change in low-to-moderate physical activity. The use of N95 respirators could statistically affect the physiologic changes of carbon dioxide and oxygen in high-intensity physical activity among healthy participants, but this may not be clinically significant. Some users who have certain health conditions, such as respiratory problems, should be informed of the clinical symptoms related to hypercarbia and hypoxia for the early detection of adverse effects of N95 respirators.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Respiratory Protective Devices , COVID-19/prevention & control , Carbon Dioxide , Humans , N95 Respirators , Oxygen , Pandemics/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Participating in cognitive and physical activities can help older adults to live a healthy and independent life. However, with the ongoing pandemic, face-to-face training options became unavailable or limited, yielding a need for alternatives. In this paper, we conducted a user study with older adults (N = 25) to compare a traditional, recorded 2D gymnastics video with an immersive virtual reality (VR) exergame. We evaluated the movement and heart rate of the participants, as well as their enjoyment, attention to the task, and perceived workload. In the VR condition, we additionally assessed their feeling of cybersickness. Finally, qualitative feedback about their preferences was collected. The results indicate that our immersive VR exergame can be a suitable alternative, but not a replacement for traditional 2D video-based exercise activities. Furthermore, the cognitive aspect of exergames can lead to the feeling of physical workload, even if easy movements are performed. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for future VR exergames and point out advantages and disadvantages of the systems.