Influence of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Algo- Functional Status and the General Health of Osteoarthritis Patients

Objectives: This work reports the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the symptoms and the declared state of health of patients with
osteoarthritis.
Design: This is a cross-sectional study including 3465 participants and conducted online between September 2019 and January 2021. The
questionnaire consisted of 230 items including socio-demographic items, diagnosis of the disease and affected joints, impact on sleep, leisure, daily
activities, treatments and medications, physical activity, visual analog scale (VAS) scores for health status, pain, and discomfort, and morale, opinions
about osteoarthritis and expectations.
Results: Overall, there was no significant difference in pain and function of osteoarthritis joints and in the general state of health between pre-
Covid-19 and Covid-19 periods. However, a significant and relevant worsening of all VAS scores was discerned at the end of the lockdown. These
may be associated with lower daily physical activity, the way participants appraised osteoarthritis impact on their family life, professional life, and
hobbies, and the difficulties inflicted by osteoarthritis on fatigue and discouragement.
Conclusions: The study shows that the Covid-19 pandemic did not globally change the algo-functional status and the general state of health of
patients with osteoarthritis. The first lockdown period, however notably impacted their condition for a while.