Background: The COVID-19 disease, also known as the corona virus disease, is an ongoing global pandemic of corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19 on 30 January 2020, and later declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 28 May 2021, more than 168 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 3.51 million confirmed deaths attributed to COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The first case in Chhattisgarh state was found in capital Raipur on 19th March 2020. Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. People can be infected by breathing in the virus if they are within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth. Covid-19 infection also causes problems for the management and follows up of cancer patients their regular investigation and chemotherapy is also interrupted mostly due to nationwide lockdown.Objective: To evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on cancer patients OPD in Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh during Covid-19 pandemic Method: This retrospective comparative clinical study is conducted in the department of Radiotherapy, Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. The 1 year OPD from 20 March 2019 to 20 March 2020 is compared with the data from Covid-19 era from 20 March 2020 to 20 March 2021. Frequency tables, comparative charts are used to evaluate and measure the data from the study to describe the impact of Covid-19 on cancer patients’ treatment Result: The total OPD registered in Pre Covid-19 yr was 1868 i.e. from 20 March 2019 to 20 March 2020,916 out of 1868 cancer patients (49%) were belonged to 18-45 yr age group followed by 47% in >45 year group and only 3.9% of admitted patients were below 18 yrs of age. Whereas in Covid-19 yr i.e. from 20 March 2020 to 20 March 2021 total OPD registered was 850, 64.9% patients were in 18-45 yrs age group followed by 30.5% in >45 yr age group and only 4.4% patients were below 18 yrs. 1025 out of 1868(54.87%) cancer patients were females in Pre Covid-19 yr whereas male OPD patients were 54.87%, During Covid-19 pandemic year males were predominant in OPD i.e. 58.23% whereas female OPD population was 41.76%. In Pre Covid-19 yr, 1232 out of 1868 (65.95%) patients of lower SES came to cancer OPD, 32.17% patients were of middle SES and only 1.8% was belonged to upper class. Whereas in Covid-19 pandemic year lower class patients reported was 58% and upper class were 8%. In Pre Covid-19 yr Head & Neck cancer patients were registered predominantly in OPD i.e.412 out of 1868 (22%) followed by Breast cancer 18.2%,Gynecological cancers 20.7%, lung cancers 4%. In Covid-19 pandemic year the total cancer OPD registered was 850, head & neck cancers were predominant (18.2%), hematological cancers (Lymphoma/leukemia) were seen in 4.9%, cancer cervix 17.1%, breast cancer 18.2%, colorectal cancer 8.2% and other cancers constituted 9.1%.Conclusion: We observed in our study that In Pre Covid-19 yr i.e. from 20 March 2019 to 20 March 2020,majority of the cancer OPD patients registered were middle aged females and belonged to lower SES, head & neck cancers were predominant followed by breast and gynecological cancers, in covid-19 pandemic year there was increase in male patients by 13.23% and upper SES patients compared to pre covid-19 year, a surge in OPD of 11% is seen in head & neck malignancies and fall of 4.9% OPD of hematological cancer is noted in covid-19 pandemic year.
