In this study, it is aimed to investigate the relationship between the physical activity (PA) status of teachers at the basic education level and university students and COVID-19 severity in a period when public health restrictions continue due to the global pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccine program has not started yet. The data of 1414 participants (848 females and 556 males) between the ages of 18 and 64 who were basic education teachers (368 individuals) and Uşak University students (1046 individuals) in the province of Uşak were collected in May 2021, prior to the National Vaccination Program in the 15th month of the pandemic, using the Online Questionnaire Form method. To test hypotheses on the distributions of categorical data, a Pearson Chi-Square analysis was performed. To determine the association between continuous variables, Spearman's correlation coefficient was utilised. The obesity incidence among the participants was low at 7.8%, while the rate of those whose body weight increased relative to the pre-pandemic era was exceptional at 45.9%. In comparison to the pre-pandemic period, 44.3% of individuals indicated that their usual weekly physical activity reduced. Consistent with the literature, the rate of smokers with severe COVID-19 disease was found to be greater than that of nonsmokers. Importantly, as the weekly regular PA duration increased, COVID-19 severity decreased. The fact that all teachers and university students have sufficient PA time is dramatically less (10.6%), which brings with it a higher risk of severe COVID-19 severity. Considering both acute and chronic benefits, following the recommendations for duration of PA, regardless of its kind, can make a significant contribution to the prevention and treatment of symptoms of COVID-19. However, it is feasible to obtain additional benefits by avoiding smoking and obesity.
COVID-19 Severity, Physical Activity, Obesity, Teacher, University Student