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

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COVID-19
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Questionnaire

Detailed 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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 490

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Oost-Vlaanderen
    • Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium, 9000
      • Ghent University, vakgroep revalidatiewetenschappen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Dutch-speaking people working or living in Belgium at the time of the pandemic and the lockdown measurements.

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Retrospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Dutch-speaking people living or working in Belgium; Every participant was asked to complete a questionnaire about the impact of a COVID-19 infection and/or the impact of lockdown measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on fatigue and musculoskeletal complaints.	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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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

Helpful Links

• Sciensano
• World Health Organisation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 22, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 14, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): February 14, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 29, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2022
• First Posted (Estimate): December 6, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 6, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2022
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: fatigue; observational study; COVID-19 infection; Lockdown measures; muskuloskeletal complaints
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Lung Diseases; COVID-19; Infections
• Other Study ID Numbers: B6702021000576

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No