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The disclosed study “is alarmist and, based on data from other reputable studies that we have, is unfounded. All the studies worldwide, carried out to date, show that the rate of infected users is only 0.28% in most countries, so they contradict the advanced thesis for the public domain ”, the association affirms today that It represents. gyms in Portugal.
Going to gyms or living in more crowded homes are risk factors for contagion with the new coronavirus, unlike the use of public transport, shops and restaurants, reveals a study published Thursday at a meeting of experts and politicians on the epidemic of covid-19 in Portugal.
The study was presented by Henrique de Barros, from the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto.
The study was carried out in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region and involved 782 people infected with SARS-Cov-2, the coronavirus that causes the covid-19 disease, and the collection of information occurred between October 2 and on November 6. The study reports that nearly half of those infected (47.6%) had attended higher education and a large majority said they went to the gym at least once a week (96.5%).
In a clarifying note sent to the newsrooms today, AGAP refutes the preliminary results released by the study, reinforcing that “gyms are safe places” and that “they have the appropriate conditions to safeguard the health of their users.”
“The security measures adopted, the investments made, the care of the users and the close supervision of the gym employees are the best guarantee so that these spaces can be used safely and calmly,” the association underlines.
AGAP also recalls that “the conclusions of this study contradict others recently presented by the government” and highlights another study, from the Advanced Wellbeing Research Center, the University of Sheffield Hallam, in the United Kingdom, and the Rey Juan Carlos University, in Spain “. which shows that gyms, fitness clubs and leisure facilities are places with extremely low transmission levels of COVID-19.”
Supported by the opinion of the Portuguese Medical Association, which recently affirmed that “the practice of physical exercise is of utmost importance for citizens to stay healthy”, AGAP reiterates that “all studies, as well as scientific and medical consensus, indicate that the benefits of physical exercise to strengthen the immune system are recognized ”and that“ in this area, gyms are essential for citizens to exercise, thus strengthening their natural defenses to fight infections ”.
