Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients Affected by Non-Communicable Diseases in Europe and in the USA

Abstract

An international online patient community, Carenity, conducted a patient study in two independent waves among adults affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Europe and in the United States of America (USA). The study aimed to assess the real time impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the medical conditions of patients with NCDs, their access to health care, and their adaptation to daily life as well as to describe their sources of information on COVID-19 and their needs for specific information and support. During the pandemic, 50% of the patients reported a worsening of their medical condition, and 17% developed a new disease. Additionally, 26% of the respondents reported an impact of the pandemic on regular/long-term treatment intake. 54% of the patients felt very or completely socially isolated and reported a strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their stress level and state of mind, with higher levels observed in the USA compared to Europe. 59% of the respondents wished to have received additional information regarding the risks associated to their medical condition during the pandemic. Television was the most used source of information, whereas physicians were the most trusted one. This study describes the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NCD patients.

Comparative Evaluation of the Prognosis of Septic Shock Patients from Before to After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Single-Center Clinical Analysis

“…In the COVID-19 pandemic era, various studies on COVID-19 are being conducted, and the real-world clinical environments and healthcare systems are more focused on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients [4,5,15,16]. We inferred that this paradigm shift would interrupt and delay the provision of appropriate treatment for other critical illnesses, including septic shock; therefore, we investigated the mortality rates of patients with septic shock from before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Prioritizing noncommunicable diseases in the Americas region in the era of COVID-19

“…For example, in Brazil, more than half of those living with diabetes (59.4%) who were surveyed reported an increased variability in glucose levels, 38.4% had postponed their medical examinations, and 59.5% had reduced their physical activity (22). In a study in Europe and the USA, 50.0% of respondents with NCDs reported a worsening of their medical condition and 17.0% reported developing a new chronic condition (23).…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality in people with dementia without COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Non-communicable disease has been noted to be affected by the pandemic with fewer cancer diagnoses, increased mortality amongst patients with neurological diseases, and fewer planned surgeries (15)(16)(17). Discussions have taken place about the increased mortality and infection rates in care homes, places were most are elderly, and many have dementia (18,19).…”