Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Health, Econo...

Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Health, Economic and Socio-Spiritual Status of Patients with Selected Chronic Diseases

Author Name : Hilda Mercy Priyadarsini.B, Ilavarasi Jesudoss, Meenakshi Sekar

ABSTRACT

Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has not only affected those infected by COVID virus, but also those who were not infected by COVID too. And this effect is worst in peoplebattling with chronic diseases. Hence this research was conducted to analyze the perceived impact of COVID-19 on health, economic and socio-spiritual status of patients, who had not contracted COVID-19 during the study period, butadmitted with selected chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases in selected acute care wards of a tertiary care hospital in India. Sample size was 144 and proportionate stratified sampling technique was used to select the study Subjects. Data was collected through interview technique, using researcher prepared instrument. Majority of the study Subjects (57.6%) were above 50 years of age and 39% of them were dependent on daily wages. Significant decline was observed regarding the regularity of treatment to 50.7% after the pandemic. Majority of them (47.2%) had moderate impact on health, 35.4%had severe impact on their financial status and 50.7% had severe impact on their socio-spiritual status. Significant association was observed between the perceived impact of COVID-19 on health with regularity of treatment before and after COVID and impact on economic status with their education, occupation,income and regularity of treatment before and after COVID. Hence the findings of the study reiterate the need to insist patients and public on COVID appropriate behaviorfacilitate uninterrupted health care services and to conceptualize innovative approaches to reduce their suffering.

Key words: COVID-19, Impact, chronic diseases, health, economic and socio-spiritual status