Abstract & Overview
Abstract Background/Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic have a major impact on the clinical course of chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the current study we aimed to evaluate the clinical relapse and worsening of IBD activity during Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: 125 patients included and followed for one year. Of them, 98 and 27 patients had inactive and active IBD before the study, respectively. The clinical activity of IBD assessed by Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) and simplified colitis clinical activity index (SCCAI). Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The mean age of included patients was 34.3 ±11.2 years, of them 54(43.2%) were males. 43(34.4%) and 82(65.6%) patients had Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), respectively. 46 (47%) patients developed clinical relapse within one year. Of them 22 (48%) patients were not adherent to treatment during the pandemic (P ≤ 0.05). 33.3% of patients with active IBD before the study, had worsened activity during the pandemic. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among included patients was 8 % (n=10). Conclusion: The majority of relapsed IBD patients were not adherent to treatment due to the fear of Covid-19 infection.