Although there is no medically recognized treatment for persistent Covid-19, exercise can break the vicious cycle of inflammation that can lead to diabetes and depression months after a person recovers from the virus, according to a Pennington Biomedical Research Center study (United States).
We know that persistent Covid-19 causes depression and we know that it can increase blood glucose levels to the point that people develop diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition common among people with type 1 diabetes. Exercise can help. Exercise takes care of the inflammation that leads to elevated blood glucose and the development and progression of diabetes and clinical depression,” explains Dr. Candida Rebello, leader of the study, which has been published in the scientific journal ‘Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews’.
It is not clear how many people suffer from persistent Covid-19. But estimates range from 15 to 80 percent of infected people.
Persistent Covid-19 causes “a constellation of other debilitating symptoms” including brain fog, muscle pain and fatigue that can last for months after the person recovers from the initial infection. “For example, a person may not get very sick from Covid-19, but six months later, long after the cough or fever has disappeared, he develops diabetes,” Rebello details.
One solution is exercise.
“You don’t need to run a kilometer or even walk at a fast pace. Walking slowly is also exercising. The ideal would be to do a 30-minute exercise session. But if you can only do 15 minutes at a time, try doing two 15-minute sessions. If you can only walk 15 minutes once a day, do it. The important thing is to try. It doesn’t matter where you start. You can gradually increase the recommended level of exercise.” Rebello wields.
Physical activity is a key component to a healthy life. “This research shows that exercise can serve to break the chain reaction of inflammation which leads to high blood sugar levels and, subsequently, to the development or progression of type 2 diabetes”, adds another of those responsible for the study, Dr. John Kirwan.