Impact of COVID-19 containment measures on patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease in the UK and Europe: the REUMAVID study (phase1).

Objectives: The aim was to compare the impact of the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and lockdown measures on patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) in the UK and other European countries (OEC).

Methods: REUMAVID was an online cross-sectional survey of seven European countries. The data collected included the following: demographics, lifestyle, employment, access to health-care services, disease-specific characteristics, the World Health Organization five well-being index (WHO-5), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), visual analogue scale (VAS) disease activity, and the perceived acceptable symptom scale.

Results: One thousand eight hundred responses were received between April and July 2020 [UK, = 558 (31.0%); OEC, = 1242 (69.0%)]. UK patients were more likely to be older [mean (S.d.): UK 58.5 (13.4) years; OEC 50.0 (12.2) years], university educated [UK = 302 (54.1%); OEC = 572 (46.1%), quit smoking [UK = 92 (59.4%); OEC = 65 (16.2%)] and continue exercise [UK, = 216 (49.2%); OEC, = 228 (33.1%)], although, conversely, alcohol consumption increased [UK = 99 (36.3%); OEC = 98 (12.1%)]. UK patients felt informed about COVID-19 (UK 72.7%, OEC 57.4%) and kept their planned rheumatology [UK = 87 (51.2%); OEC = 213 (38.6%)] and/or general practice appointments [UK = 87 (76.3%); OEC = 310 (53.9%)]. Almost half the patients with RMDs reported a decline in health and well-being, although this was less common in UK patients [UK = 214 (38.4%), OEC = 618 (50.2%)], who reported better perceived acceptable symptom scale, VAS pain and HADS scores, but worse WHO-5 scores.

Conclusions: UK RMD patients performed better in the physical and mental health domains tested, possibly owing to a less restrictive lockdown and better health-care access. These findings have implications for health-care services globally in planning patient care after the COVID-19 pandemic.