Julia Ling-Yu Cheong1, Zhao Hang Keith Goh1, Connie Marras2, Caroline M Tanner3, Meike Kasten4, Alastair J Noyce5,6. 1. Barts and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom. 2. The Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 3. Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for the Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. 5. Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom. 6. Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many countries have implemented drastic measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions and diversion of resources may have negatively affected patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our aim was to examine whether COVID-19 had an impact on access to PD medication by region and income. METHODS: This study was conducted as part of a survey sent to members of the Movement Disorders Society focusing on access to PD medication globally. RESULTS: Of 346 responses, 157 (45.4%) agreed that COVID-19 had affected access to PD medication, while 189 (54.6%) disagreed. 22.8% of high-income and 88.9% of low-income countries' respondents agreed that access to PD medication was affected by COVID-19. 59% of all 'yes' respondents reported increased disability of patients as an impact. CONCLUSIONS: Access to PD medication is likely to have been affected by COVID-19 and result in deterioration of patients' symptomatic control. Resource-poor countries appear to be disproportionately affected compared to more affluent countries.
BACKGROUND: Many countries have implemented drastic measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions and diversion of resources may have negatively affected patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our aim was to examine whether COVID-19 had an impact on access to PD medication by region and income. METHODS: This study was conducted as part of a survey sent to members of the Movement Disorders Society focusing on access to PD medication globally. RESULTS: Of 346 responses, 157 (45.4%) agreed that COVID-19 had affected access to PD medication, while 189 (54.6%) disagreed. 22.8% of high-income and 88.9% of low-income countries' respondents agreed that access to PD medication was affected by COVID-19. 59% of all 'yes' respondents reported increased disability of patients as an impact. CONCLUSIONS: Access to PD medication is likely to have been affected by COVID-19 and result in deterioration of patients' symptomatic control. Resource-poor countries appear to be disproportionately affected compared to more affluent countries.
Authors: Edoardo Bianchini; Camilla Onelli; Carmen Morabito; Marika Alborghetti; Domiziana Rinaldi; Paolo Anibaldi; Adriano Marcolongo; Marco Salvetti; Francesco E Pontieri Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2022-06-16 Impact factor: 4.086