During the pandemic caused by Coronavírus, the main strategy to avoid contamination was the lockdown, especially for the elderly population, in which the restriction of physical and social activities may have negatively influenced issues related to mobility and balance, leaving them more susceptible to the occurrence of falls, pain, and the occurrence of mental disorders.

To analyze the occurrence of falls, pain, mental health, and level of physical activity of the elderly in times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative study. The sample of this study consisted of 195 individuals aged 60 years or older, of both sexes, who answered an online questionnaire that contained self-reported information about the history of falls in the last 12 months: contamination by COVID-19. The pain was analyzed using the Analog Pain Scale (VAS), mental health using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the level of physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Data were analyzed descriptively in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and reported in absolute and relative frequency, and mean and standard deviation.

Most of the sample consisted of female elderly (71.3%), with a mean age of 70.89(+7.63) years. About a third of the sample (32.8%) reported having suffered at least one fall in the last 12 months, and 21.5% reported having contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic. As for pain, 69.2% reported feeling some kind of pain, and when asked about the intensity of pain, 43.6% reported feeling moderate pain and 13.3% reported feeling severe pain. When analyzing mental health through the GDS, 28.2% of the elderly had possible depressive symptoms, and regarding the level of physical activity, according to the IPAQ, it was observed that 50.3% of the elderly were active or very active, 29.2% were irregularly active and 20.5% were classified as sedentary.

The findings of the present study showed that one third of the sample, predominantly female, reported episodes of falls during the pandemic period, as well as the majority performing some physical activity. Furthermore, it is possible that social isolation, as a strategy for coping with the pandemic, had a negative impact on the mental health of the elderly.

The pandemic period had a negative impact on the physical and mental health of the population, mainly due to the need for social isolation. Despite its undeniable importance for the control and prevention of COVID-19, it is possible that today's mental health needs will continue well beyond the coronavirus outbreak itself. As we come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health emergency comes to an end, it will be important to consider developing a comprehensive rehabilitation approach based on helping people cope with the aftermath of the pandemic in order to reduce the impact. of COVID-19 on physical and mental health.