Impact of Covid-19 on the Behavior of Community Residents With Suspected Transient Ischemic Attack

Background and Purpose: To investigate the impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the behavior of those seeking medical attention for community residents suspected of having had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) during the pandemic. Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional study with residents living in two communities located in the suburb of Shanghai. A face-to-face interview was prospectively conducted from 20 May 2020 to 30 June 2020 between community physicians and the community residents. Suspected TIA that occurred during the pandemic was identified by symptoms recalled from the community residents. The behavior of seeking medical attention after the suspected TIA was investigated. Results: A total of 873 community residents (517 from the Wujing community and 356 from the Maqiao community) took part in face-to-face interviews. Among them, 143 (16.38%) suspected TIA cases were identified. Less than 20% of the community residents suspected of having a TIA went to the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic. The most common reason for not seeking medical care during the pandemic was still that symptoms disappeared quickly (94.9%); however, the pandemic did have an impact on behavior. Fear of in-hospital infection (55.1%) and of complicated procedures involved in seeking medical attention during the pandemic (55.9%) made community residents hesitate to seek medical attention after the suspected TIA. Residents with a dual attack within 1 week or with aphasia or dysarthria were more likely to seek medical attention during the pandemic. Conclusion: Our study indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic negatively affected the behavior of those seeking medical attention among community residents with suspected TIA and this might explain part of the reduction in patients presenting with stroke or TIA observed from other reports.