(27) The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Long-term Physical and Mental Health Symptoms in People with CF and their Caregivers

Background: SARS-CoV-2 impacts people long after the acute infection has resolved, with 30-50% of the general population reporting persistent physical symptoms after infection. These symptoms last from months to years and range from limited to debilitating. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has also impacted mental health given the prolonged stress and uncertainty. In the UK, 54% of PWCF reported clinically significant anxiety, which is double the percent before the pandemic. The mental health repercussions also extended to family members, with mothers of children with CF reporting significantly higher anxiety scores than mothers of children without CF. There is a dearth of knowledge regarding the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the physical and mental health in PWCF and their caregivers in the U.S.

Methods:

Methods: A 17-question survey garnered 278 responses between 12/16/21 and 1/6/2022. Respondents included individuals with CF (PWCF; n=187) and caregivers answering questions regarding the experience of PWCF (n=88). Questions included demographics, experiences of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and level of care required, mental health symptoms of depression and anxiety (Table 1) and physical symptoms lasting at least one month after having SARS-CoV-2.

Results:

Results: Forty-five respondents reported having a SARS-CoV-2 positive test or symptomatic COVID since 2020, with over 80% of those never requiring hospitalization for their acute infection. Of those who had acute infection, almost three-quarters of respondents had one or more new physical symptom(s) that persisted at least one month after their acute infection. The most common symptom was “fatigue that made it hard to do things [they] needed or wanted to do” with 74% of adults answering affirmatively and 24% of caregivers answering affirmatively for their PWCF. Commonly reported symptoms were “problems with memory” in 35% and “difficulty concentrating” in 26% of CF adults. Reports of muscle aches (19-35%), SOB (10-26%), cough (17-29%) and loss of taste or smell (19-22%) were also described. Since the start of the pandemic, 52% of PWCF and 44% of caregivers have had several days of feeling down, depressed or hopeless. Between 30-50% of PWCF and caregivers endorsed sleep-related symptoms and feeling tired or low energy since the start of the pandemic. Uncontrollable worry was reported by 33-36% in the last two weeks. And while mental health support has increased in CF care overall, one-third of respondents reported that they did not have regular access to a mental health provider.

Conclusions:

Conclusion: We performed this pilot study to characterize mental health symptoms and post-COVID symptoms in PWCF and their caregivers in the US during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Although most of our respondents had mild acute illness, a majority of respondents had lingering physical symptoms one month after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, most commonly significant fatigue. Mental health was significantly impacted for PWCF and caregivers with frequently reported anxiety and depressive symptoms. Notably, many of the reported symptoms cannot be observed by others and can have significant impacts on functioning. Additional studies are essential to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the long-term physical and mental health impacts of SARS-CoV-2 in PWCF and their caregivers to inform timely screening and focused interventions.

Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements: CFF Community Voice. “COVID in CF.” Survey. January, 2022.

Funding: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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