Evaluation of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract

Objective: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a concern, especially to people with chronic diseases across the entire world. During this pandemic, we undertook an investigation to assess how the disease state and medical treatments of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are affecting the IBD patients, their risky perceptions, as well as the frequency and course of COVID-19. Methods: During the pandemic, the information on the course of the disease, medical treatment status of the patients with IBD, and the course of the disease in IBD patients who had COVID-19 were collected via telephonic interview. Results: A total of 102 IBD patients, including 62 with ulcerative colitis and 40 with Crohn’s disease were included in the study. Of these, 52.9% of the patients believed that having IBD was a risk for COVID-19. During the pandemic, 18.6% of the patients did not take their medication regularly for various reasons. Of all, 64.28% of the patients with active disease could not go to the hospital to avoid the risk of acquiring COVID-19 and 4.90% acquired COVID-19. Conclusion: During the pandemic, both the regular consumption of medicines and the reservations regarding admission to hospitals affect the course of IBD. Therefore, the development of strategic action plans to support and manage changes experienced during the course of this disease is expected to facilitate the management of the disease process in a healthier way for both the physicians and the patients.