Document Type : Letter to the editor
Authors
- Majid Mardaniyan Ghahfarrokhi 1
- Ebrahim Banitalebi 1
- Mohammad Faramarzi 1
- Mansooreh Ghorbanpoor Dashtaki 2
- Conrad P. Earnest 3
1 Department of Sport Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
2 Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
3 Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Abstract
The prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 in China and subsequently in most countries of the world has become the most important health problem and has declared a state of emergency in many countries. According to the WHO (April 10, 2020), positive cases have been observed in all countries of the world, and its prevalence is increasing sharply, as health systems in many countries have announced a pandemic situation. Finally, as of April 10, 2020, 66220 positive cases and 4110 deaths have been registered, making Iran one of the most infected countries in the world and having the highest number in the region. Given the lack of available vaccines and essential remedies for the virus, numerous articles have been written on providing important scientific information on the virus. Key questions about the modes and mechanisms of transmission, incubation period, level of risk, and effective treatment are still under discussion.
Due to the unprecedented outbreak and the state of emergency, many countries including Iran have adopted safeguards including near-total closing of the cities, flight cancellations, closing the schools for long time, and closing the public places such as sport clubs. On the other hand, given China’s successful experience in controlling the epidemic, measures such as self-quarantine are key to the prevention agenda. However, this disrupts the daily activities of millions of people worldwide, as well as in Iran. It is well known that self-quarantine is naturally associated with reduced levels of daily physical activities.
Staying home is accompanied by behaviors such as prolonged lying and sitting, watching TV, and using mobile phone. Concurrently, the likelihood of increasing food and calorie intake in inactive conditions is inevitable. Consequently, a reduction in physical activity, and a decrease in resting energy expenditure accompanied by an increase in calorie intake, could increase the risks associated with sedentarism. Hence, while long-term homestay is clearly recognized as an effective and safe preventive measure regarding the spread of virus, inactive lifestyle can lead to detrimental physiological changes including weight gain and metabolic diseases, as well as psychological changes including depression and aggression that may continue until after the end of the disease.
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Main Subjects
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