Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on the Physical Condition of Residents in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Aim: The importance of physical activities to individuals of all ages is not up for discussion because the medical and physiological impact is widely known and understood. Furthermore, it is important to avoid sedentary behavior or lifestyle for a long period. Quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement and direct contact of people who have a potential risk of a contagious disease. This differs from isolation in which isolation is a medical separation of people diagnosed with an infectious disease and carries a real risk of spreading the disease to others. The potential health drawbacks of the mandatory mass quarantine need to be highlighted from different prospective related to medical conditions, psychological effects, physical de-conditioning, and obesity. As the restriction of movement and prolonged homestay directly reflects the time, duration, and type of physical activity, it is expected that these factors will decline in the majority of the quarantined community. Material and Method: This study was designed to investigate the quarantine impact on physical activity and related aspects.A cross-sectional, analytical, comparative study using an anonymous electronic survey to the general population aged 20 to 60 years was done in which it showed a self-reported change. The survey covered aspects related to physical activity, sleeping hours, weight changes, and the rate of food intake before and during COVID-19 quarantine. Results: The response rate was 54%. The result shows a trend of an increase in weight of 56.50% and an increase in sleeping hours. Simultaneously, there is a trend of decreasing physical activities both in walking and in gym work of 42.4 and 41.3 percent, respectively. Conclusion: There is an effect on physical status. The co-factors such as the rate of food intake and sleeping also affect the total body status. With the prolonged quarantine, these figures are subject to increase consequently and the drawback on health status may drop to a considerably large percentage in the community.