Browsing by Author "Maart, Soraya"

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    Comparing outcomes of group and individualized physiotherapy treatment models for children with cerebral palsy in Ghana: a quasi-experimental study
    (2024) Banini, Sandra; Ntinga, Nomusa; Maart, Soraya; Scott, Desiree
    Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a global concern. The primary caregivers of children living with CP play a vital role in influencing the nature and direction of care the children receive. Physiotherapists are rehabilitation specialists who assist in efficient motor movement and quality of life in children with CP. Therefore, effective and appropriate physiotherapy treatment is essential to meeting the needs of both caregivers and children. The study compared the individual (IPTM) and group physiotherapy treatment models (GPTM) at two teaching hospitals in Ghana using the quasi-experimental design. Methods: Forty (n = 40) children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) took part in the study, along with their respective caregivers. Out of the total, 17 had IPTM, and at the same time, 23 had GPTM. Participating children preand post-measurements were recorded over a three-month treatment period, accessing their motor function (using the Gross Motor Functional Measure-88 (GMFM-88), Gross Motor Function Classification System Expanded & Revised version (GMFCS E&R) and Manual Ability Classification Scale (MACS)) and the caregivers' burden of care (MCSI), health-related quality of life (EQ5D 3L version of HRQoL) and satisfaction with physical therapy (MRPS). Results: Comparing outcomes between the IPTM and GTM at baseline showed no significant difference in the GMFM-88, GMFCS E&R, MACS, and VAS scores of the EQ5D 3L version of the HRQoL. However, there were significant differences between models for pre-MCSI and pre-MRPS results. There was no significant difference in intra-model comparisons of functional and caregiver outcomes, specifically, GMFCS E&R, MACS, and MCSI. However, the total dimension % of the GMFM-88 results showed a significant difference for IPTM (p = 0.004) and GPTM (p = 0.000). Similarly, there were significant differences for intra-model comparisons of VAS scores for the HRQoL (p = 0.016) and MPRS (p = 0.004) of caregivers from GPTM, whilst caregivers from IPTM had no significant difference in the VAS scores of the HRQoL (p = 0.097) and MRPS (p = 0.172). Results also showed that the GPTM had better attendance at physical therapy sessions than the IPTM.
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    Developing human rights competencies for South African health professional graduates.
    (2007) London, Leslie; Baldwin-Ragaven, Laurel; Kalebi, Ahmed; Maart, Soraya; Petersen, Lucretia; Kasolo, Josephine
    Human rights are social or material entitlements which are recognised universally in national and international law and that address fundamental human needs. They inhere in all people by virtue of their humanity, and represent a standard to which governments can be held accountable.
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    Disability in under-resourced areas in the Western Cape, South Africa : a descriptive analytical study
    (2015) Maart, Soraya; Amosun, Seyi L; Jelsma, Jennifer
    Disability is a complex construct, and our understanding of it has evolved over the years from a purely medical description to encapsulating the experience of those with disability in the context in which they live. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a framework to explore the concept in a biopsychosocial framework taking into account the interaction of a person with a health condition with their environment. The central purpose of this thesis was to explore disability within an under resourced context in order to provide data to service planners to improve the health and well-being of those affected. The exploration of disability involved a cross-sectional survey using instruments based on the ICF framework including the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability, the WHODAS-2, the WHOQOL-BREF and the EQ-5D. The objectives were to establish the prevalence of disability and the description of the impairments, functional limitations and participation restrictions of those identified with disabilities. A total of 950 households were visited in Oudtshoorn (a semi-rural town) and Nyanga (a peri-urban area) and information was gathered on 7336 individuals with a mean age of 30.5 years. The majority of the participants were women. Both areas presented with estimates higher than those from the national census (5.0-6,7%). The urban area of Nyanga presented with a disability prevalence of 13.1% and the semi-rural area of Oudtshoorn with a prevalence of 6.8%. Overall the disability rate was 9.7%. The types of impairment and functional limitations were similar in the two areas, but more severe disability was reported in the semi-rural area, that also had significantly more elderly people. Non-communicable diseases were identified as the major cause of disability in both areas, followed by communicable diseases in Oudtshoorn and unintentional trauma in Nyanga. However, a person was twice as likely to be disabled due to non-communicable disease (Odds Ratio 2.2) when living in Oudtshoorn, and three times more likely to be disabled due to intentional trauma when living in Nyanga (Odds Ratio 0.3). Non-communicable diseases were responsible for the largest number of healthy life years lost. Those living in Nyanga had a higher burden of disability due to their lower quality of life scores as measured by the EQ-5D. Respondents in Nyanga consistently scored higher (worse) on all domains of the WHODAS-2 compared to respondents in Oudtshoorn. Living in Nyanga was associated with a 10% increase in domain scores. However, the pattern of scoring was similar and both areas reported worst functioning for the domains of Getting Around and Life Activities, which are associated with physical mobility. Respondents in Oudtshoorn reported better QoL and HRQoL than those in Nyanga. Functional level predicted the QoL scores, with Nyanga reporting worse functioning. Being employed and married was associated with a higher (better) EQ-5D VAS score, while mobility problems, pain or discomfort and anxiety or depression decreased the score. Transport was the most commonly identified barrier in both areas. Major barriers for those living in Oudtshoorn were Surroundings and Help in the home, whereas Help in the home and Prejudice and discrimination were viewed as the major barriers for respondents in Nyanga. The elderly were the ones most likely to not receive the rehabilitation services that they needed. The conclusions that can be drawn from this research are that context influences the experience of disability, and that disability prevalence alone is an insufficient basis for service planning. Those who experience greater deprivation also have a worse experience of disability. It is therefore essential for South Africa policy makers to view disability through a socio-political lens to ensure the equalisation of opportunities for people with disabilities. Improved quality of life for those living in under-resourced communities should be a priority. Service providers should have a broad range of skills to enable them to address not only the rehabilitation needs of people with disabilities, but also their social needs.
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    The effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation for providing services to people with stroke with functional limitations and participation restriction : a systematic review and implications
    (2010) Naidoo, Lionel Edmund; Engel, Mark E; Maart, Soraya
    We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and quasi-randomised trials to determine the effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation versus hospital/institution based rehabilitation in providing rehabilitative services to people with stroke with functional limitations and participation restriction. Data sources: Using a highly sensitive search strategy, duplicate searches were conducted for the following databases from January 1976 to May 2010: MEDLINE via PubMed, African Wide Information via EBSCO, Academic Search Premier via EBSCO, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycInfo, PEDro. Review methods: Abstracts were scanned in duplicate for all randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing the effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation with hospital/institution based rehabilitation in providing rehabiliative service to people with stroke with functional limitations and participation restriction. For this review, the primary outcome was functional independence while secondary outcomes included quality of life, physical, psychological and social functioning and, community participation of people with stroke and their caregivers. Results: Twelve randomised controlled trials with 2707 people with stroke were included. Percentage of males included in studies ranged from 42% to 75% and the participants ranged in age from a mean or median of 52 years to 78 years for those receiving the intervention and 55 years to 80 years for control participants. The treatment duration of community-based rehabilitation programmes ranged from three weeks to six months. Overall the meta-analysis found no evidence for the effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation as compared with hospital/institution based rehabilitation with respect to functional outcome (Standardised Mean Difference (SMD) 0.09; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.08 to 0.26) or quality of life (Mean Difference (MD) 1.32; 95% CI -4.30 to 6.93) or carer strain (MD 0.76; 95% CI -0.19 to 1.77). Subgroup analyses at three months showed a significant effect for community-based rehabilitation over hospital/institution based rehabilitation on quality of life (MD 5.00; 95% CI 0.82 to 9.18); however, this effect was not maintained at six months. Cost-effectiveness tended towards a cost reduction associated with community-based rehabilitation.Conclusion: Use of community-based rehabilitation may be associated with positive and negative effects. However, there is currently insufficient supporting evidence to justify the implementation of community-based rehabilitation for stroke rehabilitation. A stronger evidence base is required to adequately inform health policy decisions and guide methods of service delivery to effectively improve stroke patient outcomes.
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    Employee wellness programme in clothing/ textile manufacturing companies: What are the effects?
    (2009) Edries, Naila; Maart, Soraya
    Introduction: The prevalence of health risk behaviours is growing amongst South African employees. Health risk behaviours have been identified as a major contributor to reduced health related quality of life (HRQoL) and the increase prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Worksite wellness programmes promise to promote behaviour changes amongst employees and to improve their HRQoL. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy of an employee wellness programme on HRQoL, health behaviour change, levels of self efficacy, pain intensity, body mass index (BMI) and absenteeism amongst clothing and textile manufacturing employees. Methods: The study was a randomised control trial consisting of 80 participants from three clothing manufacturing companies in South Africa. The experimental group was subjected to a wellness programme based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as well as weekly supervised exercise classes over six weeks. The control group received a once-off health promotion talk and various educational pamphlets, with no further intervention. Measurements were recorded at baseline and at six weeks post-intervention. Outcome measures used included the EQ-5D, Brief Pain Inventory-SF, Stanford Exercise Behaviours Scale, Stanford Self-Efficacy Scale, Stanford Self-Rated Health Scale, BMI and absenteeism. Data Analysis: All the data were analysed with the Statistica-8 software program. Although t-tests are the most commonly used statistical method for evaluating the differences in the means between two groups (e.g. control and experimental), it assumes that the variable is normally distributed. Thus, because the ordinal data were not normally distributed, non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the differences in the medians between the two groups and to determine the level of significance. The Sign test was used in place of the paired t-test to determine the within group changes. The Mann- Whitney U test was used in place of the independent t-test to determine the difference between the two groups. Results: The experimental group consisted of 39 subjects. At six weeks post intervention the experimental group demonstrated improvement in almost every parameter. In contrast, apart from an overall decrease in time off work, there was no change noted in the behaviour of the control group. Seventy percent of the experimental group had improved HRQoL VAS scores post intervention, indicating improved perceived HRQoL. In comparison, only 58% of the control group had improved HRQoL VAS scores post intervention. v Conclusion: An employee wellness programme based on the principles of CBT combined with weekly aerobic exercise class was beneficial in improving the HRQoL and changing health-related behaviours of clothing/textile manufacturing employees.
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    Exploring pedagogical dissonance in including a traditional acupuncture treatment approach into a western biomedical evidence-based Physiotherapy curriculum
    (2022) Anjos, Ana Alexandra; Maart, Soraya; Corten, Lieselotte
    Background: We cannot speak about complementary and alternative medicine without speaking about the most popular form of it, acupuncture, and its connection with health maintenance or forms of intervention to recover it. Over the last few years, acupuncture has been increasingly used for the treatment of pain either as a combined or complementing therapy, and evidence also suggests an increased in physiotherapists interested in acupuncture. The study aimed to 1) explore the scientific support for the combined use of acupuncture and physiotherapy in MSK conditions through a systematic review and 2) to explore the inclusion of acupuncture in undergraduate curricula as an elective course by doing a quantitative descriptive survey. Methods: Three major databases were used for the conduction of the systematic review of literature, taking place from March 2019 to May 2019, i.e., Cochrane Library, PubMed, and PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database). For inclusion criteria were accepted only randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in English, released within the past decade, and using subject's adult population with MSK conditions. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among physiotherapists registered with professional societies in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. A questionnaire was distributed to registered members using an online format to explore demographic information, usage of acupuncture as a treatment modality, and level of agreement for including acupuncture in undergraduate curricula. Results: Systematic Review (CHAPTER 3) The results from the electronic search yielded a total of 227 abstracts and study titles. Eight studies were considered after a detailed screening, in the included studies six of them were considered for a quantitative meta-analysis and all eight were used to perform a qualitative analysis. In total 960 patients were included, with 349 and 611 patients respectively divided into intervention and control groups. No statistically significant results were found in studies assessing pain to back up the combination of physiotherapy and acupuncture, as well in studies assessing range of motion in knee osteoarthritis. When comparing the baseline of physiotherapy combined with acupuncture or physiotherapy alone statistically significant improvements were found within-group. The studies that examined Isometric Neck-Muscle Strength (INMS) expressed noteworthy bettering within groups with physiotherapy combined with acupuncture being more viable than acupuncture or physiotherapy alone. The Constant Shoulder Assessment (CSA) for shoulder function was altogether superior within the exercise plus acupuncture group compared with the exercise group. Survey (CHAPTER 4) One hundred eighty-one physiotherapists completed the survey, with 35.4% (n=64) from the UAE, while 64.5% (n=117) were from South Africa. Additionally, 78.5% (n=142) of the participants were female, while 21.5% (n=39) were males. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 41.2 (11.9) years, and there was no statistical difference between the two countries (t=0.04, p=0.97). Thirty-five percent had a postgraduate qualification. Sixty-two (34.2%) physiotherapists reported a specialization in acupuncture, with the majority at certificate level. More physiotherapists in the UAE (57%) agreed that acupuncture ought to be included within the undergrad educational curriculum compared to South Africa (44%). Conclusion: There was no noteworthy prove found to back that the addition of acupuncture to physiotherapy treatments includes advantages to pain decrease. This review did, however, observe benefits of including acupuncture together with physiotherapy treatment in the diminishing of neck incapacity, muscle strength and shoulder function. Although physiotherapists are gaining qualification in acupuncture and using in practice, there is not sufficient traction on the inclusion of acupuncture in undergraduate curriculum.
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    The impact of an employee wellness programme in clothing/textile manufacturing companies: a randomised controlled trial
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2013) Edries, Naila; Jelsma, Jennifer; Maart, Soraya
    BACKGROUND: The prevalence of health risk behaviours is growing amongst South African employees. Health risk behaviours have been identified as a major contributor to reduced health related quality of life (HRQoL) and the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Worksite wellness programmes promise to promote behaviour changes amongst employees and to improve their HRQoL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of an employee wellness programme on HRQoL, health behaviour change, body mass index (BMI) and absenteeism amongst clothing and textile manufacturing employees. METHODS: The study used a randomised control trial design. The sample consisted of 80 subjects from three clothing manufacturing companies in Cape Town, South Africa. The experimental group was subjected to a wellness programme based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) as well as weekly supervised exercise classes over six weeks. The control group received a once-off health promotion talk and various educational pamphlets, with no further intervention. Measurements were recorded at baseline and at six weeks post-intervention. Outcome measures included the EQ-5D, Stanford Exercise Behaviours Scale, body mass index and absenteeism.Data was analysed with the Statistica-8 software program. Non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the differences in the medians between the two groups and to determine the level of significance. The Sign test was used to determine the within group changes. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the difference between the two groups. RESULTS: At six weeks post intervention the experimental group (39 subjects) demonstrated improvement in almost every parameter. In contrast, apart from an overall decrease in time off work and a reduction in BMI for all study participants, there was no significant change noted in the behaviour of the control group (41 subjects). Seventy percent of the experimental group had improved HRQoL EQ-5D VAS scores post intervention, indicating improved perceived HRQoL. In comparison, only 58% of the control group had improved HRQoL EQ-5D VAS scores post intervention. There was no significant difference between the two groups at baseline or at six weeks post intervention. CONCLUSION: An employee wellness programme based on the principles of CBT combined with weekly aerobic exercise class was beneficial in improving the perceived HRQoL and changing health-related behaviours of clothing manufacturing employees. However, it cannot be concluded that the EWP was more effective than the once off health promotion talk as no significant changes were noted between the two groups at 6-weeks post intervention.This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (trial registration number NCT01625039).
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    Physical activity levels, perceived barriers, and facilitators among office-based workers in Grootfontein, Namibia
    (2024) Nyazika, Blessing; Maart, Soraya; Gradidge, Philippe
    Introduction Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mortality, and healthcare costs. However, physical inactivity remains high worldwide, increasing the NCD disease burden risk. Office workers have reported high physical inactivity levels during and after working hours. Previous studies have investigated the efficacy of various physical activity interventions to break sedentary behaviour in this population. There is limited data on physical activity among office-based workers in Namibia. Understanding their perceptions of physical activity will help inform interventions and policies to enhance participation. Aim The aim of this study was to assess physical activity levels, barriers, and facilitators among office-based workers in Grootfontein, Namibia. Methods A An explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was conducted, and 217 office workers were surveyed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire to assess their physical activity levels. The questionnaire included sections on demographic details, work, travel, leisure-based physical activity, and daily sitting time. Semi structured interviews were carried out with 26 participants from the surveyed sample to understand their barriers and facilitators of physical activity. Results The mean age of the participants was 38 years. Female participants made up 63% of the surveyed sample. The majority of the participants had over five years of employment experience, and the average daily sitting time was 8 hours. Sixty-four percent of office workers were physically active, and 65% of them were either overweight or obese. The mean BMI of the participants was 28.2 kg/m². Four themes were generated from the thematic analysis of qualitative data. Office workers were aware of what physical activity entails but had varied opinions on the recommended guidelines. Time constraints were cited as the main barrier while they were motivated to participate in physical activity for health and self-care reasons. Office workers suggested the provision of more facilities and support in the workplace and community for increased participation in physical activity. Conclusion The majority of participants in the study were physically active, but they were either overweight or obese. A multi-factorial approach to a healthy lifestyle is necessary in addition to physical activity.
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    Physiotherapy student interaction with home-based carers and the impact on service delivery
    (2015) Rustin, Letitia; Maart, Soraya; Jelsma, Jennifer
    Introduction: The national health system is experiencing major challenges due to a shortage of key human resources and a quadruple burden of disease. A cadre of trained community health workers, namely home-based carers (HBCs), have been trained in response to an increased need for health services. It is unclear to what extent the HBCs are able to provide rehabilitation support to their clients. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was used to identify the impact of the collaboration between HBCs and physiotherapy students. Fifty HBCs from four organisations working within the Cape Town Metropolitan area were randomly selected and assigned to a control (n=25) and experimental (n=25) group. A validated checklist, based on the National Guidelines on Home Based Care and Community Based Care (Department of Health. 2001), and a self-developed questionnaire was used to determine the demographics and training of the HBCs; and the conditions of their clients. Results: The results indicated that the HBCs were predominantly middle-aged females with a highest qualification of Grade 12. No differences in gender or age were seen when we compared the control and experimental groups. The mean age of our sample size was 40.9 years (SD 11.13 and range 20-67 years), with a mean age of 43.6 year (SD 10.7) in the control group; and 38.1 years (SD 11.1) in the experimental group. There was a significant difference in the mean career length (with a mean of 778 months in the control group, and 497 months in the experimental group (p=0.006)) and length of training (mean control group = 773 months and experimental group = 502 months (p=0.007)) between the control and experimental groups. Although the control group spent more time on wound care and mathematics, the content of training was similar across the four organisations with HIV/AIDS topics reported by all respondents. There were no differences between the groups with regards to client profile, which included age, diagnosis and main problems. Despite the similar training opportunities, the HBCs who hosted physiotherapy students demonstrated significantly more interventions in every domain (activities of daily living (p=0.025), personal needs (p=0.006), environment needs (p=0.002) and lifestyle needs (p<.001)) than those who had not been exposed to students, except for the Core Home/Community Based Care (CHBC) (p=0.743). From the 25 HBC's in the experimental group, only twenty completed the questionnaire with regards to attitude towards collaboration with students. Of these twenty, 16 indicated that they strongly agreed that working with physiotherapy students was a good experience and that the students contributed to their understanding of the clients and their conditions. Eighteen of them also indicated that they learned from the students. The students were also supportive towards this program as they responded positively on each question, except for learning from the HBCs, which had a high neutral response rate. Conclusion: The training of the HBCs seems to prepare them insufficiently towards the management of their clients, who present more often with chronic diseases of lifestyle than with communicable diseases, as seen in the past. Exposure to a different discipline within the home context does result in an improvement of skills, especially in areas not covered by basic training. HBCs' skills with regards to rehabilitation can be improved by collaboration with physiotherapy students at community placements. This collaboration is shown to be mutually beneficial. Therefore, we recommend the implementation of this collaboration model in future, as all health professionals need continuous support to maintain a high standard of care and upgrade their skills.
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    Should additional domains be added to the EQ-5D health-related quality of life instrument for community-based studies? An analytical descriptive study
    (BioMed Central, 2015) Jelsma, Jennifer; Maart, Soraya
    Background: There is increasing interest in monitoring the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of populations as opposed to clinical populations. The EQ-5D identifies five domains as being most able to capture the HRQoL construct. The question arises as to whether these domains are adequate within a community-based population or whether additional domains would add to the explanatory power of the instrument. Methods: As part of a community-based survey, the responses of 310 informants who reported at least one problem in one domain filled in the EQ-5D three-level version and the WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale – Abbreviated version). Using the EQ-5D visual analogue scale (VAS) of rating of health as a dependent variable, the five EQ-5D and four selected WHOQOL-BREF items were entered as dummy variables in multiple regression analysis. Results: The additional domains increased the explanatory power of the model from 52 % (EQ-5D only) to 57 % (all domains). The coefficients of Self-Care and Usual Activities were not significant in any model. The most parsimonious model included the EQ-5D domains of Mobility, Pain/Discomfort, Anxiety/Depression, Concentration, and Sleep (adjusted r2 = .57). Conclusions: The EQ-5D-3 L performed well, but the addition of domains such as Concentration and Sleep increased the explanatory power. The user needs to weigh the advantage of using the EQ-5D, which allows for the calculation of a single summary index, against the use of a set of domains that are likely to be more responsive to differences in HRQoL within community living respondents. The poor predictive power of the Self-Care and Usual Activities domains within this context needs to be further examined.
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    A study to determine the occupational health and safety knowledge, practices and injury patterns of workers at a specific beverage manufacturing company
    (2006) Chetty, Laran; Jelsma, Jennifer; Maart, Soraya
    The aim of this study was to determine the occupational health and safety knowledge, practices and injury pattern of workers at a specific beverage manufacturing company.
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    The effects of Covid-19 on roadrunners in Cape Town
    (2024) Gani, Usraa; Maart, Soraya
    Background During the worldwide pandemic declared at the beginning of 2020, many people and organisations were affected by the consequences of COVID-19 as well as the infection itself. Due to high transmission rates, strategies were in place to reduce the spread of the virus. While physical activity is well-known to prevent the adverse effects of COVID-19, it was difficult to maintain this behaviour during the COVID-19 lockdown. It takes four weeks of cessation of activity to note a decline in cardiovascular and neuromuscular adaptations. Aim The aim of the study was to explore the effects of COVID-19 infection and Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) on the athletic performance of long-distance roadrunners in the Cape Town Metropolitan area. Method A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among roadrunners recruited from athletic clubs in the Cape Town Metropole. Instruments included a self-developed questionnaire exploring COVID-19 infection and PASC. The questionnaire included symptoms of COVID-19 and PASC, the history of the runners' pre-COVID running parameters, the runners' parameters two weeks post-COVID and four weeks post-COVID. Results Fifty-three out of seventy-six participants reported to have tested positive for COVID-19, and twenty-six of these participants experienced PASC (long COVID) symptoms. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 and PASC were fever and headaches for COVID-19 (53.8%) and fatigue for PASC (73.1%). There is a noted increase in heart rate (p < 0.00001) and race pace (p < 0.05) at two weeks and four weeks post-infection (p < 0.00001). It has taken more than three months to return to pre-COVID parameters in 22 participants, with fatigue being the most common symptom and shortness of breath being the second most common symptom affecting return to running. Discussion A significant decline in a proxy measure of performance parameters was noted in the 5 km time trial, RPE measures, race pace, and resting heart rate from the results. The symptoms runners experienced were noted in research by other studies and are taken as the common symptoms affecting return to life and sport. This study has the potential to be taken forward on a bigger scale to provide a generalisation of the results to the public. Conclusion COVID-19 is clearly a multi-factorial systemic infection that has a wide range of symptoms. However, specific symptoms of the infection have lasting effects on the population. The effect on the sporting world is still to be explored with new data and factors to consider within the field.