The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Treatment, Follow-up and Behavioral Characteristics of Chronic Viral Hepatitis Patients

Objectives: It has been not yet fully understood whether chronic liver diseases may be considered as risk factors for critical course of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Considering the importance of managing with COVID-19, we aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment, follow-up and behavioral characteristics of chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) patients. Materials and Methods: Patients followed-up in our clinic with diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B or C were screened retrospectively and a total 213 adults included in the study. We performed a telephone survey with patients. Results: The mean age of participants was 49.9 +/- 13.4 years. Of the participants, 62% were male. Totally 75 (35.2%) patients disrupted their follow-up visits due to COVID-19 pandemic. The only risk factor for disruption in follow-up was found as anxiety. The vast majority of CVH patients paid attention to prevention measures for COVID-19. Conclusion: We can say that CVH patients' awareness about COVID-19 and application of control measures were well enough. Continuity of treatment can be provided in patients with chronic illness during crisis period with informing patients in a way not to cause anxiety and efficient implementations in healthcare system.