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A web-based survey for COVID-19 infection among Indian dancers
  • Pratiti Ghosh
Pratiti Ghosh
Freelance researcher

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile

Abstract

The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 has led to significant morbidity and mortality. Susceptibility to either contracting infection or presenting with symptoms has varied to a great extent among different populations. Whether specific occupations or lifestyles, other than the ones that predispose individuals to increased exposure, also play a role in shaping infection susceptibility is not yet fully understood. In India, due to a rich heritage of different classical dance genres, dance vocationally engages a great number of people. Moreover dance, being an aesthetic rendition of body movements, is established to have major influence of human health. With an aim to assess the susceptibility of SARS-CoV2 infection among the practitioner of various Indian classical dance genres, an internet-based survey was done based on a questionnaire. 6.04% of the dancers participating in the survey (N=182) reported past infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus confirmed by RT-PCR test, while 15.38% of them reported the same for one or more household members. The survey did not find any significant difference in age, body mass index between infected versus non-infected individuals. Further exploration of this occupational group with respect to COVID-19 disease outcomes as well as lung functions in health and disease are warranted.