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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Physical Activity and Sleep among Recovered Individuals

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research from the University of Sharjah has shed light on the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sleep among recovered individuals. The study, conducted in the United Arab Emirates, found that individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 within the past year did not exhibit significant impairments in physical activity or sleep quality compared to healthy controls. However, the study did find that individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 had longer sleep latency and longer sleep duration compared to healthy controls.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study compared 65 individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 within the past year with 65 age- and sex-matched healthy controls in the UAE.
  • No significant differences in physical activity durations were observed between the two groups.
  • Individuals recovered from COVID-19 exhibited longer sleep latency (29.15 min vs. 19.88 min, p = 0.033) compared to healthy controls.
  • Other sleep parameters, such as sleep duration, efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, showed no statistically significant differences.
  • No associations were found between COVID-19 recovery and insomnia prevalence or excessive daytime sleepiness.
  • The study highlights the importance of individualized assessment and further research to understand the broader spectrum of post-COVID cases (acute to post-COVID syndrome) and associated recovery outcomes.

Statistics:

  • 65 individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 within the past year were studied.
  • 65 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were used as a comparison group.
  • The mean age of participants was 23.28 ± 6.05 years for the recovered group and 22.54 ± 4.32 years for the healthy controls.
  • The study found that individuals recovered from COVID-19 had a sleep latency of 29.15 minutes, which was significantly longer than the sleep latency (19.88 minutes) of healthy controls (p = 0.033).

Sources:

  • Do COVID-19 recovered individuals differ from healthy controls in accelerometer-measured physical activity and self-reported sleep? a UAE-based study. BMC Public Health, 2025,25(1):1-10.
  • NewsRx. Study Findings on COVID-19 Are Outlined in Reports from University of Sharjah (Do COVID-19 recovered individuals differ from healthy controls in accelerometer-measured physical activity and self-reported sleep? a UAE-based study). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. November 2, 2025; p 494.

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