COPD in the Time of COVID-19

This study will be a cross-sectional observational study utilising a telephone survey. After obtaining informed verbal consent participants will be asked to recall their symptoms, exacerbation events and exacerbation medication usage over the periods of 01/03/20 - 14/03/20 (pre-lockdown) and then 15/03/20 to 30/04/20 (lockdown). A structured survey will follow on from this asking questions regarding behaviour including self-isolation, shielding, other household contacts, visitors to the home, arrangements for shopping, changes in smoking behaviour (including that of other smokers in the household), medication changes, self-reported change in use of preventer medication, self-reported change in walking/activity levels and self-reported changes in anxiety levels. Baseline clinical data will subsequently also be collected from the comprehensive respiratory review previously performed in the complex COPD clinic (comprising both hospital and GP records.) This will include previous AECOPD phenotyping (eosinophil levels, sputum culture and viral PCR), previous lung function testing, prescribed medication, BMI and smoking status and history. Previous AECOPD events will be counted and graded based on GP antibiotic or steroid prescriptions and hospital admissions. Participants will be contacted once as part of the main study following verbal informed consent (via telephone). This will be a brief survey as described above, lasting approximately 20 minutes. A second similar survey will take place up to 12 months after the initial contact to evaluate longitudinal changes associated with the lockdown (further details on this will be submitted as an amendment at a later date due the shifting and unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, this will be prior to initiating these second calls). Additional clinical data will be collected from healthcare records to quantify disease severity. Participant postcodes will be collected to link results with changes in local air pollution as recorded or estimated during the COVID-19 lockdown.