Fibromyalgia patients features in the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq

Background: Early articles on the impaction of the COVID-19 pandemic found persistent related aggressiveness of fibromyalgia in the general population.

Methods: A surveillance study about 100 patients suffering from fibromyalgia in Abu-Graib General Hospital, Baghdad during period from June 2020 to March 2021. The target population for were adults, aged 18 years and older, diagnosed with FM for at least one year and no other pain condition. Data including: age, gender, ethnicity, residence, marital status, BMI, and medical history.

Results: Approximately, 100 patients completed ≥ 90% of the surveys and their data were analyzed. Females were 70% whereas males constituted 30% of the sample. Above 50 years was the age of the majority of patients. The mean age was 50.7±12.88 years. White color patients were documented in 92%. Smoker patients were 60%. About 29% of patients were alcoholic intake. Approximately, 49% of patients were obese. Comorbidities were recorded in 62% of patients. In relation to morbidity of persons, myocardial infarction reported in 3%, 7% heart diseases, 4% stroke, 10% liver diseases, 1% renal failure, 26% hypertension, 24% diabetes mellitus, 2% chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, 9% tuberculosis, 8% bronchial asthma, 6% rheumatoid arthritis, 4% peptic ulcer, 2% systemic lupus arthromatus, 7% migraine, 31% cancers, 2% psychological diseases, and 4% depression. Patients with fibromyalgia described different pattern of symptoms including: Anxiety (54%), depression (50%), insomnia (65%), memory loss (34%), fatigue (94%), pain (92%), and arthralgia (83%).

Conclusion: Persons with a fibromyalgia diagnosis had high levels of self-reported pain, non-pain symptoms, comorbidity and psychological distress. Fibromyalgia diagnosis was associated with gender, education, ethnicity, citizenship and unhealthy behaviors.