Survey on the Impact of COVID-19 Mandatory Lockdown on Clinical Condition of Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Diseases

Introduction: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted lockdown regulations and extreme societal restrictions worldwide. The current study intended to assess the impact of the COVID-19 mandatory lockdown on the clinical condition of patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Materials and methods: A telephone survey was carried out on patients with chronic pulmonary diseases who were referred to Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, from March 2019 to June 2020. The collected information included the subjects' demographic characteristics, their compliance with lockdown mandates, the feasibility of access to medical care and medications, exacerbation of their underlying chronic pulmonary diseases and in case of COVID-19 development, their clinical presentations, and length of hospital stay (if hospitalized). Results: A total of 500 patients, including 291 males (58.2%) and 209 females (41.8%), participated in the present study. According to the findings of interviews, 93.6% of participants strictly followed the lockdown rules, and 44.4% had a face-to-face or phone consultation with a pulmonologist. Additionally, 35.7% of patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, of whom 70.4% were hospitalized, and 15.6% died. Dyspnea, fever, cough, headache, and fatigue were the most prevalent symptoms reported by COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The government lockdown policies have hindered access to health services, especially for those suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases. Under this condition, COVID-19 disease can further place patients with chronic pulmonary diseases at risk as infection in these patients progresses more rapidly. Therefore, in the current crisis, patients with chronic pulmonary diseases need to be supervised by specialist consultants and receive adequate medical care constantly.