To explore the impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients′symptom control and mental health.

Recruited 396 confirmed COPD patients from multiple hospitals in Sichuan. Collected relevant data, including patients′demographics, data relative to COVID-19, pulmonary functional tests′results, mMRC and CAT before and during COVID-19 breakout, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 6(K6) and Impact of Event Scale, revised version (IES-R). Paired t test and linear regression were applied.

220 questionnaires were validated and were included in the analysis. None of them got exposure history to COVID-19. More than half of the patients (126/220, 57.3%) admitted that COVID-19 had influenced them to some degree, and impact on daily life was the most common(85/220, 38.6%). For respiratory symptoms, there was no significance difference between pre COVID-19 period and COVID-19 outbreak period on both mMRC and CAT score. For mental health, 178 patients scored over 0 on hyperarousal subscale(178/220, 80.9%), and patients in GOLD group C/D scored higher on all scales than patients in group A/B, In multivariate analysis, GOLD group ABCD, quarantine strictness, drug usage and respiratory symptoms may have impacts on IES-R score. And K6 was mainly affected by drug usage and respiratory symptoms.

Respiratory system symptoms of COPD patients without severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 contact history were not affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Small number of patients showed psychological stress to COVID-19, and the higher GOLD group rating they got, the more obvious stress they had, which could be a sign for health care worker that attentions are needed for COPD patients under regular COVID-19 prevention and control.