A new survey of Coronavirus (COVID-19) recoverees conducted at the Beilinson Institute of Physiotherapy found that the physical endurance of the recovering patients at an average age of 45 is equal to the physical endurance of 80-year-olds.
The survey, conducted on about 30 recoverees, included two test. The tests were done three months after they recovered.
The first test examined a short walk of six minutes, in which the recoverees were capable of walking 450 meters when the average is 700 meters.
The second test required the patients to perform sit-ups. The recoverees were successful in doing 14 sets when the average is 30.
The guideline in working with Corona recoverees is “go slow,” reducing loads and providing long rest breaks, unlike normal situations in which the objective is to push patients to the maximum.
Nira Cohen Zubari, director of the Physiotherapy Institute and gym instructor at Beilinson, said that the emphasis is on listening to the body more than usual and progressing the exercise loads slowly.
Importance should be given to the patients’ ability to have continuous speech during exertion and not go into significant shortness of breath, she said.
Ran Levy, a physiotherapist at Beilinson Hospital, noted that many patients do not return to full physical function, which is manifested in daily activities and their ability to return to their work routine.
The tests found that the physical endurance of the recoverees decreased significantly as a result of the virus and this was manifested in shortness of breath, muscle aches, and more.