The immunological case for staying active during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

On April 17th 2020, the number of people diagnosed with COVID19 worldwide was over 2.2-million with more than 154,000 deaths. Government shelter-in-place orders have restricted the movement of ~3 billion people around the globe in an attempt to minimize the spread and devastation of this novel virus. While these countermeasures are necessary, spending prolonged periods of time in isolation and confinement, coupled with the stress and anxiety people are experiencing, are likely to lead to many other stress-related health problems. A particular concern are the restrictions these orders have placed on our daily activity and exercise routines. Regular physical activity exerts a multitude of beneficial health effects but, perhaps more importantly during this pandemic, is its ability to both enhance immune defense and mitigate the deleterious effects of stress on immunity (Duggal et al., 2019; Simpson et al., 2015). Implementations of social distancing has resulted in the mass closure of gyms and parks where exercise and training regimens would normally be undertaken, but it is essential that physical activity be encouraged during this viral outbreak.