An NHS Lanarkshire public health consultant is among the experts working on the world’s largest study to determine the impact of exercise on boosting Covid-19 immunity.
Dr Jennifer Darnborough is among the group of leading physical activity researchers, respiratory experts and sport and exercise psychologists who are analysing more than 14,000 research papers covering the past four decades to find key data.
They are aiming to discover whether exercise and physical activity can increase immunity to the coronavirus, and are working to publish their conclusions by the end of the month to aid government decision-making.
It is being led by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and also involves eminent immunologists and epidemiologists from around the world, including experts from University College London and Ghent University in Belgium.
Dr Darnborough said: “In addition to enabling a formal recommendation to be made about physical activity and its role in the current pandemic, it has offered us an opportunity to stocktake how we as a society value and incorporate physical activity into our daily lives.”
The study is described as “the most comprehensive systematic review ever conducted into the impact of physical activity on immune response” – and the scientists’ deadline of just weeks for work which would ordinarily take many months to collate is being called “a race against time”.
Lead researcher Professor Sebastien Chastin of GCU says the results will help inform policymakers, health professionals and the public, and added that results showing a link between activity and increased immunity could lead to discussion about opening up parks and green spaces.
He told the Reformer : “This study is crucial because if we can prove that physical activity can help in any way, shape or form to lessen the impact of Covid-19, it could have a huge impact on the pandemic and government decision-making.
“Exercise is a very cheap and easy measure; we think it is effective in fighting Covid-19 but we need to prove it entirely and by how much.
“There is a lot of research out there, but there hasn’t been such a huge systematic pooling of all the results that can give us a clear and definite answer – our plan is to get this review published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, but we will do an evidence briefing that we will make available to policymakers as soon as we have conclusive results.
“It’s important that we make sure people are as fit and active as possible, particularly if we face another outbreak in the winter. The outcome of this study could level the discussion around opening parks and green spaces.”
