Why Physical Activity Should Be Considered in Clinical Trials for COVID-19 Vaccines: A Focus on Risk Groups

Abstract

Since the World Health Organization declared the global COVID-19 state of emergency in early 2020, several vaccine candidates have emerged to control SARS-CoV-2, and some of them have been approved and implemented in vaccination campaigns worldwide. Although clinical trials for these vaccines have been carried out using highly controlled methods with accurate immunological tests, clinical questionnaires did not include questions concerning the physical activity profile among volunteers. It has been well established that physical activity plays a pivotal role in the immune response after vaccination, led by the activation of cytokines, antibodies, and cells. This concept should have been considered when evaluating the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine candidates, particularly in elderly and obese people. Here, we discuss data from the literature providing strong evidence regarding the importance of analyzing physical activity parameters to improve the accuracy of clinical trials on assessing the efficacy of vaccine candidates.

COVID-19-Vaccination-Induced Myocarditis in Teenagers: Case Series with Further Follow-Up

“…In our study, with a homogeneous teenager group, four patients were described as obese, and one as overweight, according to the WHO body mass index. This may be considered an interesting fact in the light of the recent review by Bortolini et al, according to which, physical inactivity and obesity are factors decreasing the vaccine’s efficacy and immune response [ 17 ]. However, obesity itself is a known risk factor of hyperimmune reactions, which may be at least partially responsible for myocarditis in our group.…”

Utilização da solução de bicarbonato de sódio na COVID-19 através do telemonitoramento

“…A literatura nos reporta que a prática regular de atividade física se configura como uma ferramenta não farmacológica para o tratamento e prevenção de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e enfermidades físicas e mentais (LUAN et al, 2019). Ademais, a atividade física atua como um otimizador do sistema imunológico, diante de uma possibilidade de imunização através de vacinação o corpo estaria mais preparado em virtude da ação imunomoduladora da atividade física (BORTOLINI et al, 2022).…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity, Function, and Quality of Life

“…1). 16 An exploration of associations between physical activity at the community level and COVID-19 in the United States found a negative association between physical activity rates at the county level and COVID-19 cases and deaths, 17 after controlling for several variables linked with overall health and COVID-19 risks and mortality, including personal demographics, health rating, employment status, income, insurance status, and rural status. The investigators acknowledge that physical activity may be an indicator of other factors that affect health behaviors and COVID-19 outcomes, such as mask-wearing.…”