22 Jul 2021
EuropeActive to publish new study on COVID-19 cases and health club visits
BY Tom Walker
Further research into the levels of positive COVID-19 cases among those to have visited fitness clubs and leisure facilities is currently being developed by EuropeActive.
The study is the second cycle of the SafeACTiVE Study.
The first edition, published in December 2020, found that the number of cases reported among people who had visited health clubs (prior to testing positive was) 1.12 per 100.000 visits.
It is important to note that even among those who tested positive and had visited a gym, the point of transmission was not known – so the figure doesn't represent the transmission risk at health clubs.
What the small instance of positive tests among those visiting gyms does suggest is that health clubs and gyms are safe – and not driving transmission.
To read the full report, published in December 2020, click here.
The second, updated version, commissioned by EuropeActive's Research Centre THINK Active, will include data from the SafeACTiVE survey platform and the ukactive Research Institute collected over a nine-month period starting in January 2021.
Data collection methods and information used are consistent with findings from public health authorities.
EuropeActive said: "The SafeACTiVE Study aims to ensure that our sector possesses the right evidence-based arguments to document our facilities’ safety and low COVID-19 risk in order to mitigate the public health concerns of both users and members.
"It also represents an essential tool for keeping our physical facilities and places of business open to avoid the additional negative health impact caused by physical inactivity during any future outbreaks of infectious diseases."
European health club operators are encouraged to contribute to the report by submitting reliable data on a weekly basis from when they reopened their facilities and services in 2021 via a bespoke website – you can do so HERE.
Head of THINK Active, professor Alfonso Jimenez, said: “We're very keen to monitor and review again the COVID-19 safety protocols and professional practices across Europe as we move into a potential final recovery phase.
"New elements to include in this second SafeACTiVE study are the impact of new variants of SARS-COV-group or vaccination levels per age group and country”.
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