Impact of Corona Virus Disease 2019 pandemic on adherence to gluten-free diet in Indian patients with celiac disease

Aims Lockdown and restricted mobility due to the pandemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has severely affected the continuity of healthcare of patients with acute and chronic diseases. We evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the adherence to gluten-free diet (GFD), symptom control, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with celiac disease (CeD). Methods A questionnaire, consisting of both ad-hoc and validated questions, was created after review of literature, group discussions, and expert meetings. Standardized questionnaires namely CeD adherence test (CDAT), celiac symptom index score, and CeD-related QOL were used. The web-based questionnaire was sent to 3130 patients via social media and 452 responses (14.4%) were received. Also, additional 68 patients (not available on any social media application) were interviewed telephonically by a trained dietitian. Results Overall, 505 patients (females: 318; mean age: 24.1±14.2 years) were included. While only 6.7% ( n = 34) had poor compliance to GFD (CDAT > 17) before COVID-19 pandemic, it almost doubled to 12.6% ( n = 64) during the COVID-19 pandemic times ( p = 0.02). Furthermore, 4.9% ( n = 25) of patients were diagnosed contacting COVID-19. Interestingly, 73.2% ( n = 370) patients preferred online appointment than physical appointment. Most common difficulties faced during lockdown period were high delivery charges for getting gluten-free (GF) food at home (54.4%), increased prices of regular GF food (43.1%), and travelling long distance to arrange GF food (44.9%). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially affected the adherence, symptom control, and QOL in patients with CeD, attributable to unavailability, shortage of money, and heightened cost of GF food. The pandemic has offered an opportunity to practice teleconsultation approach for patients with CeD.