COVID-19 – does exercise prescription and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) have a role in risk-stratifying patients?
Irfan Ahmed
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2020-0111
Clin Med April 2020 Irfan Ahmed
AThe Royal London Hospital, London, UK
Roles: Sport and exercise medicine registrar
ABSTRACT
As the UK shields ‘high risk’ patients and enforces social distancing measures, patients will be at risk of significantly reducing physical activity levels. We explore the evidence base for COVID-19-specific recommendations and exercise interventions to ‘precondition’ patients prior to infection and appraise the role of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) as a risk-stratifying triage tool. We conclude that structured exercise programmes can be used to maintain physical activity levels and prevent deconditioning and that VO2 max has the potential to be used as a clinically relevant triage tool during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- © Royal College of Physicians 2020. All rights reserved.
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COVID-19 – does exercise prescription and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) have a role in risk-stratifying patients?
Irfan Ahmed
Clinical Medicine Apr 2020, clinmed.2020-0111; DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0111
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