TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘I Live a Kind of Shadow Life’

T2 - Individual Experiences of COVID‐19 Recovery and the Impact on Physical Activity Levels

AU - Shelley, James

AU - Hudson, Joanne

AU - Mackintosh, Kelly A.

AU - Saynor, Zoe L.

AU - Duckers, Jamie

AU - Lewis, Keir E.

AU - Davies, Gwyneth A.

AU - Berg, Ronan M.G.

AU - McNarry, Melitta A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Understanding of strategies to support individuals recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is limited. ‘Long COVID’ is a multisystem disease characterised by a range of respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal symptoms extend-ing beyond 12 weeks. The aim of this study was to explore individuals’ experiences of recovering from COVID‐19 to provide a better understanding of the acute and long‐term impact of the disease on physical activity (PA). Individualised semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 48 adults recovering from COVID‐19 at 6–11 months post‐infection. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used, reaching saturation at 14 interviews (10 female; 47 ± 7 years). Four overarching themes were identified: i) Living with COVID‐19, including managing activities of daily living; ii) Dealing with the Unknown and self‐management strategies; iii) Re‐introducing physical activity; and iv) Challenges of returning to work. The return to PA, whether through activities of daily living, work or exercise, is often associated with the exacerbation of symptoms, presenting a range of challenges for individuals recovering from COVID‐19. Individually tailored support is therefore required to address the unique challenges posed by COVID‐19.

AB - Understanding of strategies to support individuals recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is limited. ‘Long COVID’ is a multisystem disease characterised by a range of respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal symptoms extend-ing beyond 12 weeks. The aim of this study was to explore individuals’ experiences of recovering from COVID‐19 to provide a better understanding of the acute and long‐term impact of the disease on physical activity (PA). Individualised semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 48 adults recovering from COVID‐19 at 6–11 months post‐infection. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used, reaching saturation at 14 interviews (10 female; 47 ± 7 years). Four overarching themes were identified: i) Living with COVID‐19, including managing activities of daily living; ii) Dealing with the Unknown and self‐management strategies; iii) Re‐introducing physical activity; and iv) Challenges of returning to work. The return to PA, whether through activities of daily living, work or exercise, is often associated with the exacerbation of symptoms, presenting a range of challenges for individuals recovering from COVID‐19. Individually tailored support is therefore required to address the unique challenges posed by COVID‐19.

KW - Exercise

KW - Long COVID

KW - Rehabilitation

KW - SARS‐CoV‐2

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118169690&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph182111417

DO - 10.3390/ijerph182111417

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34769934

AN - SCOPUS:85118169690

VL - 18

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 21

M1 - 11417

ER -