TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term Behavioral Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Impact of Vaccination in Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases

AU - Glintborg, Bente

AU - Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo

AU - Terslev, Lene

AU - Hendricks, Oliver

AU - Østergaard, Mikkel

AU - Rasmussen, Simon Horskjær

AU - Jensen, Mogens Pfeiffer

AU - Adelsten, Thomas

AU - Colic, Ada

AU - Danebod, Kamilla

AU - Kildemand, Malene

AU - Loft, Anne Gitte

AU - Munk, Heidi Lausten

AU - Pedersen, Jens Kristian

AU - Østgård, René Drage

AU - Sørensen, Christian Møller

AU - Krogh, Niels Steen

AU - Agerbo, Jette Nørgaard

AU - Ziegler, Connie

AU - Hetland, Merete Lund

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Journal of Rheumatology.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Objective. To explore anxiety and self-isolation in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD)15 months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including attitudes toward and effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Methods. A nationwide online survey was conducted at 3 timepoints: May 2020, November 2020, and May 2021. Patients with IRD followed in the Danish Rheumatology Quality Registry (DANBIO) were asked about the effects of the pandemic, including SARS-CoV-2 infection and their behavior, anxiety, and concerns. The May 2021 survey included attitudes toward SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccination. Characteristics associated with self-isolation in May 2021 were explored with adjusted logistic regression analyses that included patient characteristics and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status. Results. Respondents to surveys 1, 2, and 3 included 12,789; 14,755; and 13,921 patients, respectively; 64% had rheumatoid arthritis and 63% were female. Anxiety and concerns were highest in May 2020 and decreased to stable levels in November 2020 and May 2021; 86%, 50%, and 52% of respondents reported self-isolation, respectively. In May 2021, 4% of respondents self-reported previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine acceptance rate was 86%, and the proportion of patients vaccinated against influenza had increased from 50% in winter 2019-2020 to 64% in winter 2020-2021. The proportion of patients with anxiety appeared similar among those vaccinated and unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. In multivariable analyses, being unvaccinated, female gender, receiving biologic drugs, and poor quality of life were independently associated with self-isolation. Conclusion. Levels of anxiety and self-isolation decreased after the initial lockdown period in patients with IRD. Half of the patients reported self-isolation in May 2021, a phase that included widespread reopening of society and large-scale vaccination. The lack of prepandemic data prevented a full understanding of the long-term effects of the pandemic on anxiety and self-isolation in patients with IRD.

AB - Objective. To explore anxiety and self-isolation in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD)15 months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including attitudes toward and effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Methods. A nationwide online survey was conducted at 3 timepoints: May 2020, November 2020, and May 2021. Patients with IRD followed in the Danish Rheumatology Quality Registry (DANBIO) were asked about the effects of the pandemic, including SARS-CoV-2 infection and their behavior, anxiety, and concerns. The May 2021 survey included attitudes toward SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccination. Characteristics associated with self-isolation in May 2021 were explored with adjusted logistic regression analyses that included patient characteristics and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status. Results. Respondents to surveys 1, 2, and 3 included 12,789; 14,755; and 13,921 patients, respectively; 64% had rheumatoid arthritis and 63% were female. Anxiety and concerns were highest in May 2020 and decreased to stable levels in November 2020 and May 2021; 86%, 50%, and 52% of respondents reported self-isolation, respectively. In May 2021, 4% of respondents self-reported previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine acceptance rate was 86%, and the proportion of patients vaccinated against influenza had increased from 50% in winter 2019-2020 to 64% in winter 2020-2021. The proportion of patients with anxiety appeared similar among those vaccinated and unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. In multivariable analyses, being unvaccinated, female gender, receiving biologic drugs, and poor quality of life were independently associated with self-isolation. Conclusion. Levels of anxiety and self-isolation decreased after the initial lockdown period in patients with IRD. Half of the patients reported self-isolation in May 2021, a phase that included widespread reopening of society and large-scale vaccination. The lack of prepandemic data prevented a full understanding of the long-term effects of the pandemic on anxiety and self-isolation in patients with IRD.

KW - autoimmune diseases

KW - disease outbreaks

KW - registries

KW - rheumatic diseases

KW - vaccines

U2 - 10.3899/jrheum.211280

DO - 10.3899/jrheum.211280

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35705237

AN - SCOPUS:85140417672

VL - 49

SP - 1163

EP - 1172

JO - Journal of Rheumatology

JF - Journal of Rheumatology

SN - 0315-162X

IS - 10

ER -