The Bodily Complaints Barometer: The Impact of the Corona Measures and of Contracting a COVID-19 Infection on the Body.

COVID-19 Clinical Trial

— COVID-MSK  

Official title:

The Bodily Complaints Barometer: A Survey to Investigate the Impact of the Corona Measures and of Contracting a COVID-19 Infection on the Body.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05638685
• Other study ID #: B6702021000576
• Status: Completed
• Start date: December 22, 2021
• Est. completion date: February 14, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: December 2022
• Source: University Ghent
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Since December 2019, a new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 disease, has expeditiously spread over the entire globe. Almost a half billion people caught the disease, and in those who survived, it soon became clear that residual complaints are not rare phenomena. Early focus lay on diminished lung capacity and cardiovascular-related problems. As time passed however, it became more apparent that those are not the only residual symptoms survivors may experience.

Furthermore, nearly every country in the world took some sort of lockdown measures in order to try contain the spreading of the virus. These measures had great impact on all inhabitants, infected with the virus or not.

This questionnaire-based study therefore aims to investigate (a) the effects of a COVID-19 infection on fatigue and/or musculoskeletal complaints, new or already existing, but also (b) the effects of lockdown measures on fatigue and/or musculoskeletal complaints, new or already existing, in people living, working or studying in Belgium during the pandemic.

Description:

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost half a billion people worldwide were infected with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19 disease. In Belgium, 3.6 million people, a third of the population, contracted the disease. More than 30.000 patients did not survive this condition.

Many of those who did survive, however, complained of residual symptoms, even long after their infection. Initially the most reported and investigated complaints were lung and respiratory issues, but as time progressed, it became clear these were not the only residual problems after infection. A great deal of ex-patients reported lasting fatigue and musculoskeletal complaints, both myalgia and arthralgia, after they were deemed 'cured' and therefore discharged from the hospital. Since these complaints only became apparent when patients tried to resume their daily life outside the hospital, condsiderably less attention was given to these symptoms by clinicians and researchers. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effects of a COVID-19 infection on fatigue and/or musculoskeletal complaints, both new or already existing.

In Belgium, as in many other countries all over the world, lockdown measures were installed to contain the spread of the virus. For certain periods, this meant an obligation to work from home and moreover, to only leave home for vital reasons. Before the pandemic, "telework" was rather exceptional; in a survey from September 2019, only 22% of respondents worked from home, and for just 1 day a week. So for many employees, this meant a hard transition from a fully ergonomic work space to an unadapted home environment. For those who used to walk or bike to work, physical activity levels dropped. Even more so since all sports and recreational facilities were ordered to close. Regardless of having to live through a COVID-19 infection, all these measures were of great impact on the population, and on their levels of physical activity. A second aim of this resaerch is thus to investigate the effect of lockdown measures on fatigue and/or musculoskeletal complaints, both new or already existing, in people living, working or studying in Belgium during these measures.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 490
• Est. completion date: February 14, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: February 14, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being at least 18 years old

• Living and/or working in Belgium

• Dutch speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being younger than 18 years of age

• Not working or living in Belgium during the pandemic and lockdown measures

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• COVID-19
• Infections

Intervention

Other:
• Questionnaire
The questionnaire comprises demographics, job or school related questions, screen work questions, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and questions about the participant's health.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Belgium	Ghent University, vakgroep revalidatiewetenschappen	Ghent	Oost-Vlaanderen

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Ghent

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Belgium, 

References & Publications (1)

Wrzesinski,D.& Kluppels, L. (2020) Telewerken gedurende COVID-19.Hoe beleven telewerkers het al of niet gedwongen thuiswerken? Brussel, België: Vias institute -INNO_DSU_MOBI

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Musculoskeletal complaints following a COVID-19 infection, through the International Physical Activities Questionnaire (IPAQ).		3 months
Primary	Fatigue following a COVID-19 infection, through the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS).		3 months
Primary	Musculoskeletal complaints caused by lockdown measures, through the IPAQ and the Short Inventory to Monitor Psychosocial Hazards.	No prior COVID-19 infection	3 months
Primary	Fatigue caused by lockdown measures, through the CIS and the Short Inventory to Monitor Psychosocial Hazards.	No prior COVID-19 infection	3 months

External Links

•   Sciensano
•   World Health Organisation