ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The average 45-year-old person who recovers from the novel coronavirus will have the physical endurance of an 80-year-old, according to a new study by The Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus's physical therapy clinic. The survey also found that people who recover from COVID-19 may experience new symptoms after recovery that were not present during their illness.

"Many patients do not return to full physical capacity," said Ran Levi, who is a physical therapist at Beilinson. Levi went on to say that this can be seen in day-to-day activities or returning to work.

"In tests we conducted, we found that the physical endurance of those who recovered was significantly reduced as a result of the illness. This can be seen in shortness of breath, muscle aches and more," he said.

In the study, people who recovered from COVID-19 were able to walk 450 meters in 6 minutes. In comparison, healthy individuals are able to walk 700 meters on average in the same time frame. In addition, people who recovered from the virus were able to stand up from a sitting position 14 times in a row, less than half of the 30 times healthy people can do. 
"Late symptoms can appear in different systems in the body," said Nira Cohen Tzobari, who manages the physical therapy clinic. The heart, lungs, muscular system, skeleton and other organs can be affected, Cohen Tzobari went on to say.

The study was conducted on 30 individuals who have recovered from the virus and who completed the two physical tests.