NASAg03 said:

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Most studies regarding covid-19 IFR focus on factors such as BMI and age.

This one included 40k+ from California and accounted for physical activity. Results are as expected, and important considering the number of gyms, outdoor spaces, and playgrounds that were closed due to government policy. Some still remain closed, even with the new data that indicates virus transfer through physical contact is around 1:10000.

If we pushed exercise harder than we pushed masks and distancing, how many lives would have saved, short term AND long term? Instead we get unwanted weight game. Public health policy disaster!

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/07/bjsports-2021-104080

Quote:

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Results Patients with COVID-19 who were consistently inactive had a greater risk of hospitalisation (OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.81 to 2.83), admission to the ICU (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.55) and death (OR 2.49; 95% CI 1.33 to 4.67) due to COVID-19 than patients who were consistently meeting physical activity guidelines. Patients who were consistently inactive also had a greater risk of hospitalisation (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32), admission to the ICU (OR 1.10; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.29) and death (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.60) due to COVID-19 than patients who were doing some physical activity.

Conclusions Consistently meeting physical activity guidelines was strongly associated with a reduced risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes among infected adults. We recommend efforts to promote physical activity be prioritised by public health agencies and incorporated into routine medical care.

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Agree 100%. I'll go further to say that one of the greatest mistakes committed by health officials early on was to try to lump all people into a "very vulnerable" group regarding the virus. While there are no doubt outliers, the vast majority of truly fit people were fine after contracting Covid and had 0 short or long-term issues. Instead, the "marathon runner" who died would be reported, yet there was no real analysis as to whether that person was actually in a high level of fitness, currently a training marathon runner or ran a marathon 5 years ago, etc. It was all just anecdotal at best. The only real studies that amounted to anything regarding athletes were done with professional and college athletes and that showed Covid had little effect on these people. Again, just b/c a person goes to the gym to "workout" a number of times a week doesn't mean they are truly fit. Walking on the tread mill and picking up a couple of light weights doesn't really mean that much. Just b/c they run marathons doesn't mean that the patient is in that impressive of shape either. Why I always advocate training super hard and intense. I view it as levels. A walker is better off then a couch potato. A jogger is better off than a walker. A runner (running for sport and time) is better off than a jogger. An strength athlete is even higher as studies show. And the one who combines exercise modalities for sport or just their passion are also way up there (lifts 4-6 days a week and does a conditioning modality 1-2 times a week).

Again, their are outliers that are super fit and had big time issues or even died. But those really are the exception. It is interesting that the only super spreading event in a gym was the cycling class from a year ago in a small. closed room where the bikes were circled together in very close proximity for an hour. And out of that, I do not think anyone had a sever case. There's a reason that in my area, most of the serious gyms never enforced mask mandates yet never had a spreading event. I honestly think we will find that gyms do not present a vector to spread the virus well nor are very fit people much of a spreader of the virus. On that last part obviously much more study will need to be made and I could be very wrong. But in terms of gyms, they all should be open and people need to be aware that the reward of better health is far greater than the risk of catching the virus in a gym or fitness setting.

The gym I go to never closed. They just increased sanitation somewhat and spacing between people somewhat. I don't recall anyone there that had it, and if they did, it apparently didn't spread through the gym to others. Nobody was seriously ill with it, that's for sure. It's not exactly like we're training Olympian's in there but it's cardio and weights and most people work out an hour at least 3-5 times a week.

I think sedentary lifestyle and obesity made this much worse in America than it should have been.

Aggie95 said:

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Obese = bad covid, people who exercise regularly tend to not be obese...this report is obvious.

Fat shaming is not the answer but society should stop "normalizing" and "celebrating" obesity as a positive image.

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Agree, but having stronger lungs from cardio and your heart having the ability to work harder without being stressed is also part of it.

There's also likely a relatively high correlation between BMI and other risk factors and exercise. People that don't exercise are more likely to be in the high risk group for weight, heart problems, diabetes etc.
And with or without gyms being open, there were still countless ways to exercise for anyone motivated to do so. I haven't hit a gym during the entire pandemic and am probably in the best shape I've been in in many years.