Abstract
BackgroundThe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services offered to patients with non-communicable diseases, including chronic neurological illnesses, are diverse and universal. We used a self-reported questionnaire to investigate these impacts on neurology patients in Jordan and assess their knowledge and attitudes towards the pandemic.ResultsMost respondents had positive attitudes towards the COVID-19 pandemic, with 96% reporting they believed in the seriousness of the pandemic and adhered to prevention measures. Nearly 97% resorted to the internet and media outlets for medical information about the pandemic. About one in five clinic visitors had their appointments delayed due to interruption of health services. A similar portion of patients with MS, epilepsy, and migraine or tension headache reported medication interruptions during the pandemic. One in two patients reported new events or worsening illness since the start of the pandemic, and sleep disturbances were reported by nearly one in three patients who had epilepsy or headache.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on patients with neurological illnesses in Jordan were deep and diverse. Meanwhile, the majority of surveyed neurology patients demonstrated a positive attitude towards the pandemic.
Highlights
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services offered to patients with noncommunicable diseases, including chronic neurological illnesses, are diverse and universal
A growing body of literature suggests that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing COVID-19, has neurotropic characteristics [6,7,8,9]
This study aimed to explore the attitude towards the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the health of patients with neurological illnesses including multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and primary tension or migraine headache
Summary
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services offered to patients with noncommunicable diseases, including chronic neurological illnesses, are diverse and universal. The impact of pandemics on healthcare systems is welldocumented, in countries with limited resources. Routine health services decreased by an estimated 18% during the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, resulting in thousands of potentially preventable deaths [1]. Following the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China, clinic and emergency room visits at a hospital in Taipei City dropped to 55% and 45%, respectively, in 2003 compared with the previous year [2]. The most immediate and possibly the broadest short-term impact of the pandemic on neurology patients could be the limitations on accessibility to healthcare and medications, especially in communities with uncontrolled spread or as a byproduct of strict prevention measures
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