Prevalence and Impact of COVID-19 among Severe COPD Patients post Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction Treatment with Endobronchial Valves

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has a great impact on numberless aspects of our society. In our bronchoscopic lung volume reduction interventional program, we work with severe COPD patients on a daily basis. OBJECTIVES: We were interested in the prevalence and outcome of COVID-19, impact of the pandemic on daily life, and the vaccination coverage in our severe COPD patients who have been treated with one-way endobronchial valves. METHOD: A questionnaire, which consisted of questions related to the infection rate, treatment, and outcome of COVID-19 infections; feelings of anxiety related to the pandemic; adherence to preventive measures; and willingness to be vaccinated; was sent to our patients in June 2021. RESULTS: The questionnaire was sent to 215 patients, and the response rate was 100%. The vaccination rate was 97% in our surveyed population. The majority of patients (63%) indicated that they were quite or very anxious to get infected with COVID-19. Twenty-five (11.5%) patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, with none of these patients having been vaccinated at the time of infection. The infection rate reported in this study is comparable to that of the general Dutch population. However, the hospital admission rate and mortality rates are higher. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in severe COPD patients treated with endobronchial valves was comparable with the general population; however, the hospital admission and mortality rates were worse.