Dino Ferrari Centre, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Neurology Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
Muscle Nerve. 2021 Oct;64(4):474-482. doi: 10.1002/mus.27378. Epub 2021 Aug 3.
/AIMS: Patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMDs), including many elderly, immunosuppressed, and disabled individuals, may have been particularly affected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Lombardy, a COVID-19 high-incidence area between February and May 2020. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life (QoL) and perceived disease burden of this group of patients.
We conducted a cross-sectional phone-based survey study between June 1 and June 14, 2020, on a sample of 240 NMD patients followed at our clinic in Milan, Italy. We asked about perceived NMD burden and QoL before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected responses on access to outpatient care and ancillary services. We investigated the presence of symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection and confirmed cases.
We collected 205 responses: 53 patients (25.9%) reported a subjective worsening of the underlying NMD. QoL measures showed a significant worsening between pre and pandemic time frames (odds ratio, 2.14 95%; confidence interval, 1.82-2.51). Outpatient visits were postponed in more than half of cases (57.1%), with 104 patients (50.7%) experiencing a cancellation of scheduled diagnostic tests. 79 patients (38.5%) reported at least one symptom attributable to COVID-19 infection. Among the 10 patients tested with nasopharyngeal swabs, 6 tested positive and 3 died from respiratory failure, including 2 patients on corticosteroid/ immunosuppressive therapy.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected QoL and limited access to outpatient care and ancillary services of NMD patients in Lombardy between February and May 2020.
/目的：包括许多老年人、免疫抑制和残疾在内的神经肌肉疾病（NMD）患者可能在 2020 年 2 月至 5 月期间 COVID-19 大流行期间受到特别影响，这是 COVID-19 高发地区。我们旨在评估 COVID-19 大流行对这组患者的生活质量（QoL）和感知疾病负担的影响。
我们于 2020 年 6 月 1 日至 6 月 14 日期间，在意大利米兰的我们的诊所对 240 名 NMD 患者进行了一项基于电话的横断面调查研究。我们询问了 COVID-19 大流行前后对 NMD 负担和 QoL 的感知。我们收集了有关门诊护理和辅助服务的访问情况。我们调查了 COVID-19 感染和确诊病例的症状。
我们共收集了 205 份回复：53 名患者（25.9%）报告称其潜在的 NMD 恶化。QoL 指标在预 COVID-19 和大流行期间显示出显著恶化（优势比，2.14 95%；置信区间，1.82-2.51）。超过一半的病例（57.1%）推迟了门诊就诊，有 104 名患者（50.7%）取消了计划的诊断性检查。79 名患者（38.5%）报告至少有一种归因于 COVID-19 感染的症状。在接受鼻咽拭子检测的 10 名患者中，6 名检测呈阳性，3 名死于呼吸衰竭，其中 2 名患者正在接受皮质类固醇/免疫抑制治疗。
2020 年 2 月至 5 月期间，COVID-19 大流行影响了伦巴第地区 NMD 患者的 QoL，并限制了他们对门诊护理和辅助服务的获得。
