ABSTRACT
Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted global attention. This study aimed at exploring the change of illness, daily life and psychological responses during the pandemic of COVID-19 among chronic kidney disease patients.Methods: The study was conducted by collecting the questionnaires in 5 nephrology centers. The questionnaire consisted of two main parts: the influences of COVID-19 and assessment of anxiety by using Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. The first part included (1) basic demographic data; (2) the influences of COVID-19 on the illness and daily life; (3) patients’ psychological responses during the epidemic.Findings: 612 patients were included and divided into two groups according to eGFR. 96 patients (34%) in CKD stages1-2 group and 141 patients (42.7%) in CKD stages 3-5 group had reduced their follow-up frequency (p=0.031). More patients with CKD stages 1-2 consulted online (25.9%), p=0.005. Besides, patients with CKD stages 3-5 group tended to be more anxious about follow-up(p=0.002), fearful of being infected with COVID-19 (P=0.009), more likely to feel symptoms getting worse (p=0.006) and gained more help from medical staff during the pandemic period (p=0.038). The standard scores of SAS were 48.58±7.082 and 51.19±5.944 in CKD stages 1-2 group and CKD stages 3-5 group, respectively (p<0.001). And there were significant differences in the severity of anxiety (p=0.004).Interpretation: COVID-19 had a greater impact on patients with CKD stages 3-5 than stages 1-2 in illness, daily life and psychological disorder. Patients with CKD stages 3-5 were more anxious during the pandemic of COVID-19. Funding: None.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.Ethics Approval Statement: The study was in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethical committee of West China Hospital of Sichuan University.