COVID-19 can have effects on our health even after the disease has passed, it is what is called persistent COVID. And with the appearance of omicron, dubiously described as ‘lighter’, many people seem to have left aside that important nuance, since the consequences can appear in the long term. This is attested to by a study carried out by researchers from several Canadian universities, including Dalhousie University, which has discovered that people over 50 who have COVID, even mildly or moderately, could have a higher risk of mobility problems in simple everyday tasks.
The work was carried out with data from more than 24,000 people over 50 years of age in Canada, which were taken during the initial phase of the pandemic, specifically in the 2020 confinement. The mobility problems of the participants were studied, such as, for For example, the ability to get up from a chair, walk up or down stairs without assistance, walk around the neighborhood several times, exercise, or perform tasks such as moving around the house or doing housework.
The results of putting all these data in relation, which can be read in the journal JAMA Network Open, indicated that people over 50 years of age presented adverse changes in mobility and physical function after a mild or moderate COVID-19, in comparison with those who had not had the disease.
More risk if you have low income and poor nutrition
Specifically, it was observed that those who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 were almost twice as likely to have worse mobility and physical function, despite having a mild or moderate illness. Of the 2,748 people in the study with confirmed, probable or suspected COVID-19, 94 percent were not hospitalized. In addition, they also had twice the risk that their ability to do household activities and physical activities worsened.
Those over 50 with mild or moderate COVID-19 had twice the risk of mobility problems, such as walking down or up stairs without help
“Our results showed that there was a higher risk of mobility problems in people who were older, had lower incomes, had three or more chronic conditions, had little physical activity and had poorer nutrition. However, those factors alone did not explain the mobility problems we observed among people with COVID-19”, explained Marla Beauchamp, author of the study.
In addition, they believe that a series of rehabilitation strategies should be developed for adults who do not require hospitalization due to COVID-19, but still need support to fully recover their mobility and physical function.
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