Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Patients with rheumatic diseases have been affected by the isolation measures taken by the authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them becoming physically inactive. Purpose This study was designed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods A total of 14 RA patients of both sexes (mostly female - 92.86%, from urban areas - 78.57%, with an average age of 56.42 +/- 15.97 years) were recruited for this study. An online-based questionnaire was developed and participants were invited to complete it via social media. The questionnaire included demographic and socioeconomic data, health status, the condition epidemic situation and EQ-5D scale. Patients were advised to perform blood samples in order to assess serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The Disease Activity Score (DAS 28) was recorded in all subjects. Results In the EQ-5D questionnaire, most patients did not report any problems related to self-care (71.42%), routine activities (50%) and anxiety or depression (64.29%), only in the case of mobility (42.86%) and pain or discomfort (57.14%) did the majority report the existence of mild problems. Most patients did not have problems, except for social activities, where most (35.71%) had mild problems. Also, a number of patients presented mild problems in terms of sleep quality (35.71%) and relationship with friends (21.43%). About performing daily exercises during quarantine, most reported no problems (57.15%), but 28.57% of them reported inability to perform them. Conclusion The epidemic condition, generally, did not affect the patient's quality of life, probably due to its short application period. However, quite a few patients had impaired social activities, sleep quality, and relationships with friends.