ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is currently delaying the process of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) eradication, since most of the chronic diseases are neglected. Thus, there is a need for alternative programs for HCV therapy implementation and disease monitoring. Our aim was to provide a multidisciplinary approach, so that HCV-infected patients from distant locations may benefit from HCV antivirals during the COVID-19 outbreak and within the lockdown period in Romania. Previously diagnosed HCV patients willing to participate in this telemedicine pilot study were included. Patient characteristics and medical adherence were assessed and compared to the year preceding the pandemic. We proposed a multidisciplinary approach by using a telemedicine program for HCV therapy monitoring. Patients also received a satisfaction questionnaire after delivering the sustained virologic response (SVR) result. A total of 41 patients agreed to participate in this study. The medication adherence was 100% for patients included in the telemedicine group, with a statistically significant difference from the medication adherence of the patients treated in 2019. The satisfaction item score was 4.92 out of 5 and our results (r = -0.94, p < 0.0001) suggested that older patients embraced the telemedicine program less, but with the same success in terms of SVR (100%) and medication adherence (100%). Our pilot study offers the first example of a telemedicine program in Romania for HCV therapeutic management. During the lockdown period, telemedicine has served as a reliable tool and novel alternative for conventional monitoring of patients treated with direct antiviral agents and should be further considered even following the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The first case of new coronavirus infection was reported first in the Wuhan city area from China in December 2019. The virus spread rapidly worldwide, produced an atypical cluster of pneumonia, was known all over the world as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and, in Romania, first case was registered on the 26th of February. In Romania, the number of cases increased constantly, and a lot of healthcare professionals were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the opinion of healthcare professionals on the situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and to find what treatment against COVID-19 (a future vaccine, hydroxychloroquine) would be accepted by healthcare professionals. Material and methods: We used an online survey that was conducted from April 15th, 2020 to May 15th, 2020. The survey was developed using Google Forms and included 15 items. The respondents were recruited from health professionals (physicians, pharmacists and nurses), and future health professionals. Results: a number of 529 healthcare professionals were included in the study from different cities of the country. A total of 365 respondents (69%) agreed with the COVID-19 vaccine. Differences in accepting the vaccination against COVID-19 coverage by profession (p=0.011<0.05) were found. Conclusions: Based on the assessment of the current COVID-19 situation globally, the COVID-19 vaccines must be inoculated to the healthcare workers, but training on vaccination and compulsory measures may be needed in order to achieve better coverage.