Table 5 Principal issues affecting patients with comorbidities during COVID-19 pandemic
Health issue | Comorbidities | Impact of COVID-19 |
|---|---|---|
Predisposition to severe disease | Obesity | More severe symptoms of COVID-19; requirement for complex ICU management; poorer clinical outcomes |
Diabetes | Increased clinical severity and mortality | |
Access to routine medical care | COPD | Cancellation of smoking cessation clinics |
Cystic fibrosis | Decreased access to multidisciplinary care and transplantation | |
Cancer | Necessity to defer chemotherapy in some cases | |
Chronic kidney disease | Infection risk in dialysis units; decreased access to renal transplantation | |
Mental health disorders | Barriers to accessing outpatient care | |
Influence of chronic medications | Hypertension | Controversy around use of RAAS blockers |
Autoimmune disease | Immunosuppressant drugs predispose to infection | |
Chronic kidney disease | Immunosuppressant drugs predispose to infection | |
Negative effects of pandemic lockdown | Obesity | Restrictions on physical activity; excessive caloric intake |
Mental health disorders | Social isolation; heightened anxiety; sleep disturbance; reduced capacity of psychotic patients to adhere to public health advice |