Outdoor Physical Activity During COVID-19 [COVID-19 and Physical Activity Series]
Social Distancing and Outdoor Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Outbreak in South Korea by Dr. Park and co-authors is a cross-sectional analysis of a public bicycle sharing system. A difference-in-differences approach was used to analyze a public dataset of two groups (COVID-19 non exposure and exposure) at two different points in time (January-March 2019 and January-March 2020). During the COVID-19 outbreak, strict social distancing was imposed in Seoul beginning March 22nd, including staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, not using public transportation, and following work and quarantine restrictions. This led to a significant shift in transport behavior. Dr. Park and co-authors found that the average daily usage of a public bike sharing system in 2020 doubled over that of 2019 (30,697 vs 77,996, P < .001). They also found that commuter, weekend users, and new subscribers increased significantly. Social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak increased outdoor physical activity, specifically public bike sharing system usage. Meaningful outdoor physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic can be safe from infection and psychologically stabilized as long as keeping meticulous physical distancing, such as hand hygiene, wearing facial masks, and surface cleaning of public resources.
Park, S., Kim, B., & Lee, J. (2020). Social Distancing and Outdoor Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Outbreak in South Korea: Implications for Physical Distancing Strategies. Asia-Pacific journal of public health.
