Covid-19 entre os praticantes de atividade física indoor e outdoor e detecção do material genético do vírus nos equipamentos utilizados durante as práticas

Abstract

The 21st century is being marked by an unprecedented pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has had invaluable impacts on the economy, the physical and mental health of the population, and human relations worldwide. Gyms are identified as high-risk places for the transmission of COVID-19, as they facilitate, through their operating dynamics, the transmission of the virus. Since the transmission of the disease can occur directly through contact with infected people or with surfaces of objects that have been manipulated by infected individuals, this research aimed to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 among practitioners of physical activities performed indoors and outdoors. outdoor, the exacerbation of emotional changes in these individuals and the detection of genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the surface of equipment used in the practice of physical activities through RT-PCR. Practitioners of indoor and outdoor physical activity, over 18 years old, participated in the research. The collection of material for carrying out the research was carried out for six months, between April and September 2021, when the average infection by SARS-CoV-2 in the Municipality of João Pessoa was 1,008 cases per week. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material was found in equipment for collective use in gyms and outdoor areas, in addition to the incidence of positive individuals for COVID-19 among the samples collected in the same period, characterizing these areas as environments of potential risk for transmission of COVID-19. Gyms had a higher incidence of infected, symptomatic and asymptomatic people compared to those who practiced outdoor physical activity. The same happened with regard to the detection of virus genetic material on equipment surfaces, which was more present in closed environments, suggesting that in addition to equipment hygiene issues, environmental issues such as temperature and precipitation may also have influenced these results. The analysis of the applied questionnaire showed the incidence or aggravations of emotional disorders among the research participants.