The Importance of Behavioral and Native Factors on COVID-19 Infection and Severity: Insights from a Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on a global scale. Understanding the innate and lifestyle-related factors influencing the rate and severity of COVID-19 is important for making evidence-based recommendations. This cross-sectional study aims at establishing a potential relationship between human characteristics and vulnerability/resistance to SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesize that the impact of the virus is not the same due to cultural and ethnic differences. A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire. The methodology included the development of a multi-language survey, expert evaluation, and data analysis. Data were collected using a 13-item pre-tested questionnaire based on a literature review between 9 December 2020 and 21 July 2021. Data were statistically analyzed using logistic regression. For a total of 1125 respondents, 332 (29.5%) were COVID-19 positive; among them, 130 (11.5%) required home-based treatment, and 14 (1.2%) intensive care. The significant and most influential factors on infection included age, physical activity, and health status (p < 0.05), i.e., better physical activity and better health status significantly reduced the possibility of infection, while older age significantly increased it. The severity of infection was negatively associated with the acceptance (adherence and respect) of preventive measures and positively associated with tobacco (p < 0.05), i.e., smoking regularly significantly increases the severity of COVID-19 infection. This suggests the importance of behavioral factors compared to innate ones. Apparently, individual behavior is mainly responsible for the spread of the virus. Therefore, adopting a healthy lifestyle and scrupulously observing preventive measures, including vaccination, would greatly limit the probability of infection and prevent the development of severe COVID-19.

Most Common Long COVID Physical Symptoms in Working Age Adults Who Experienced Mild COVID-19 Infection: A Scoping Review

“…To date, there have been in excess of 550 million confirmed cases and over six million deaths in more than 200 countries [ 1 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected the world’s economy [ 2 , 3 ] and impacted all aspects of the socioeconomic spectrum. The global response to the pandemic, in terms of government policy, vaccination development and availability, slowed the spread of COVID-19 and its effects [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Bayesian Modeling of COVID-19 to Classify the Infection and Death Rates in a Specific Duration: The Case of Algerian Provinces

“…Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 provided a more accurate and detailed view of the level of mortality risks by province. The provinces of Batna and Tizi Ouzou showed higher risks, and this means that besides the population density component already demonstrated [ 20 ], there are other factors related to the distribution of the number of deaths in the country [ 10 ]. The three provinces with the largest population density (Algerirs, Oran, and Constantine) were at the forefront of the ranking with the provinces of Tizi Ouzou, Setif, and Batna.…”

“…Therefore, studying the pandemic is essential for acquiring comprehensive analytical knowledge about the new phenomenon and finding appropriate measures to control the spread of the disease [ 9 , 10 ], also based on previous experience in infectious diseases control [ 11 ]. Global efforts have resulted in identifying several antiviral drugs, and a few vaccines have been developed [ 12 , 13 ], however, no clinically approved treatments have been identified, despite many trials of drug repurposing [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Body Mass Index and Clinical Outcomes in Adult COVID-19 Patients of Diverse Ethnicities

“…An example is a study by Aouissi et al, which showed that strong immunity due to healthy lifestyle measures was associated with a reduced probability of contracting the COVID-19 virus. They also demonstrated that eating healthy, sleeping well, and regular physical activity can better enhance multiple disease prevention and outcomes [ 18 , 19 ]. Another study on children by Scapaticci et al discussed that being able to consume enough vitamins and minerals, which have antiviral properties and may lessen the intensity of symptoms, is essential for enhancing immune responses [ 20 ].…”