Post‐COVID anxiety, depression, and quality of life among Egyptian hemodialysis patients

IntroductionThis study examined the impact of Coronavirus disease 2019 on anxiety, depression, and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among Egyptian hemodialysis (HD) patients.MethodsThis multicenter cross‐sectional study was carried out in Egypt in the years 2021–2022, where 300 HD patients from four HD centers were allocated into two groups: post‐COVID and non‐COVID. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Kidney Disease QOL‐36 questionnaire were used to assess anxiety, depression, and QOL of the included patients.ResultsIn the post‐COVID group, abnormal and borderline cases of anxiety and depression were detected in 38.6% and 62.5% of patients, respectively, with no statistically significant difference between both groups. The post‐COVID group showed higher work status and lower sexual and physical functioning, which correlated negatively with anxiety and depression scores.ConclusionPast‐COVID infection did not influence depression and anxiety symptoms in HD patients. Sexual and physical functioning were more affected among COVID‐survivors.