Omicron-COVID-19-Related Knowledge in Parkinson's Disease Patients and Their Caregivers: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) became the global community's third major cause of worry. In the current study, we deployed a self-reported survey questionnaire to investigate the degree of comprehension, awareness and perception of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their respective caregivers (CGs). Using a standardised questionnaire, we conducted a prospective study on PD patients attending the neurology outpatient department prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study period was between February and August of 2022. A total of 114 CGs and 134 disease-affected patients were evaluated. Approximately 1.8% of the CGs and 4.5% of the patients contracted the Omicron-COVID-19. Over half of the patients (77.6%) were aware of the Omicron variant, and approximately 40.3% of them were aware of its symptoms. After receiving the Covid immunisation, patients (94.02%) reported no change in symptoms. The percentage of patients and CGs who had no symptoms of the viral infection and were not even got tested ever was 95.5% and 98.2%, respectively. Further, patients (95.5%) opted for the 'offline' as a preferred mode of consultation, citing the precision of treatment being the main reason. No definite correlation between the Omicron variant infection and symptoms of PD could be established. The awareness regarding Omicron variant was largely unknown. More patient-centred research on larger population groups, incorporating literate and urban groups would unravel the knowledge gaps.