COVID-19 risk perceptions, worries and preventive behaviors in patients with previous pulmonary embolism

Introduction: The presence of conditions, such as cardiovascular or chronic lung diseases, was reported to be associated with more severe cases of COVID-19. It is, however, so far unclear how patients with a history of pulmonary embolism (PE) perceive their individual COVID-19 risk. Moreover, their worries and preventive behaviors and their associations with risk perception are unknown.

Materials and methods: A postal survey was conducted in April 2020, including participants with previous PE from the German "Lungenembolie Augsburg" (LEA) cohort study. The questionnaire contained items on COVID-19 knowledge, risk perception (infection likelihood, susceptibility, dangerousness), information sources and satisfaction with information, individual assignment to a high risk group due to pre-existing conditions, worries, infection likelihood, and implementation of preventive behaviors.

Results: From the 185 respondents, 71.7% assigned themselves to a high risk group in terms of developing a severe case of COVID-19. The likelihood of being infected was rated as verylow/low by 82.3% and the susceptability by 37.8%. A considerable percentage of patients expected a very high/high infection risk in a hospital (48.3%) or at a doctor's practice (37.9%). Major sources of information were the patients' general practitioners (48.9%) and the internet (31.5%). Assignment to a high risk group (β = 1.04) and uncertainty in terms of assignment (β = 1.26) were significantly (p = 0.01) associated with a higher level of health-related worries.

Conclusions: Most patients with previous PE feel that they belong to a high risk group in terms of severe illness from COVID-19. Support in coping with their individual COVID-19 risk is warranted.