Using a gym does not increase risk of infection, study finds

Research carried out in Norway adds to case for health facilities to reopen

THE world’s first study into reopening gyms during the coronavirus pandemic has suggested that they do not increase the risk of contracting Covid-19.

In a boost for the gym industry as it pushes for the Government to lift the ban, a study into five gyms allowed to open in Norway found that fears over their safety may have been overstated.

Scientists have been reluctant to recommend reopenings as they class gyms as well as indoor swimming pools as places where the risk of transmission is high.

The enclosed spaces, heavy breathing and circulated air are thought to help the disease spread through droplets. But the results from Norway are raising questions, adding to pressure on ministers in Britain who were told this week that public health risks being set back a generation if fitness centres remain closed.

The University of Oslo began a randomised study on May 22, when five gyms in Oslo with 3,764 members aged 18-64 reopened. None of these people have underlying health conditions. Half of the participants were allowed to return to the gym while the other half were used as a comparison group and kept away.

During the two-week study, 80 per cent used the gym at least once, while 38 per cent went more than six times. While using the gym, people had to wash their hands regularly and maintain social distancing – 1 metre for floor exercise, 2 metres for high-intensity classes. Lockers were available for use, but saunas were not. All participants, as well as gym staff, then took an antibody test on June 8.

The results showed that of the 3,764 individuals monitored, only one person caught Covid-19. This individual was part of the group that had not attended the gym, with the cause of infection traced to his workplace. In Oslo over the study period, 207 new cases were reported. There was also no difference in the rates at which those studied went to hospital. Those who did visit hospital did so for issues not related to Covid-19.

Dr Gordon Guyatt, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Canada, told

The New York Times: “This shows us that low-prevalence environments are safe for gyms and probably just about everything else. It is very unlikely you will get infected.”

In the UK, gyms are among the group of businesses that do not have a reopening date, which includes nightclubs and casinos.

Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said that, if all went well, the Government hoped to allow gyms to reopen in mid-July.

However, experts have questioned whether these results would translate to areas where infection rates are much higher. Dr Jon Zelner, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, said a study with people in areas of higher prevalence was needed to determine the safety of the gyms.