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Review
. 2021 Apr;289(4):450-462.
doi: 10.1111/joim.13184. Epub 2020 Oct 27.

The impact of novel coronavirus COVID-19 on noncommunicable disease patients and health systems: a review

Andrew Y Chang  1   2   3 , Mark R Cullen  2   4 , Robert A Harrington  2 , Michele Barry  2   3
Affiliations
Review

The impact of novel coronavirus COVID-19 on noncommunicable disease patients and health systems: a review

Andrew Y Chang et al. J Intern Med. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic affecting all levels of health systems. This includes the care of patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) who bear a disproportionate burden of both COVID-19 itself and the public health measures enacted to combat it. In this review, we summarize major COVID-19-related considerations for NCD patients and their care providers, focusing on cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, haematologic, oncologic, traumatic, obstetric/gynaecologic, operative, psychiatric, rheumatologic/immunologic, neurologic, gastrointestinal, ophthalmologic and endocrine disorders. Additionally, we offer a general framework for categorizing the pandemic's disruptions by disease-specific factors, direct health system factors and indirect health system factors. We also provide references to major NCD medical specialty professional society statements and guidelines on COVID-19. COVID-19 and its control policies have already resulted in major disruptions to the screening, treatment and surveillance of NCD patients. In addition, it differentially impacts those with pre-existing NCDs and may lead to de novo NCD sequelae. Likely, there will be long-term effects from this pandemic that will continue to affect practitioners and patients in this field for years to come.

Keywords: COVID-19; chronic diseases; noncommunicable diseases; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors report no competing commercial/financial relationships with any associations or organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced or benefited from the submitted work.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example impacts of COVID‐19 on NCDs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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