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RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Maintaining the health of people with and without COVID-19 during isolation: a case study

Caoimhe Scales https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8711-4072 A C # , Ling-Ling Tsai https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4617-7667 B C # , Sarah Whitney https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4988-4432 C , Miranda Shaw https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9358-8258 D , Lil Vrklevski https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0200-9714 C , Sharon Carey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4155-5240 C , Owen Hutchings D , Lissa Spencer https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2358-0736 C and Jennifer Alison https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2011-4756 B C *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Special Health Accommodation, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

B Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

C Allied Health, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

D RPA Virtual Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

* Correspondence to: Jennifer.alison@sydney.edu.au
# These authors contributed equally to this paper

Australian Health Review https://doi.org/10.1071/AH23229
Submitted: 3 November 2023  Accepted: 21 March 2024  Published: 15 April 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.

Abstract

This case study evaluated the effects of a health package (HP) of a light intensity individualised exercise program and advice on anxiety management and nutrition, on the physical and mental health of people with or without COVID-19, who were quarantined in hotels used as Special Health Accommodation and admitted to the Royal Prince Alfred Virtual Hospital, Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic. After initial screening and consenting, participants completed three surveys: Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale; Brief Fatigue Inventory; and the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions 5-Levels, and were provided with the HP for the duration of their quarantine. The three surveys and a participant reported experience measure were completed prior to discharge. The HP for people in quarantine demonstrated stability of health outcomes and reduction in fatigue. Most participants reported that the HP helped them cope with isolation. Provision of a HP during quarantine could be useful to support physical and mental health.

Keywords: anxiety, COVID-19, depression, dietetics, exercise, isolation, physical, quarantine.

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