RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 COVID-19 – does exercise prescription and maximal oxygen uptake (VO<sub>2</sub> max) have a role in risk-stratifying patients?
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 282
OP 284
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0111
VO 20
IS 3
A1 Irfan Ahmed
YR 2020
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/3/282.abstract
AB 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.