Toulouse researchers have studied the effects of the first confinement on 536 inhabitants of Haute-Garonne. They show noticeable damage in terms of cardiovascular risks and mental health. A sequel to assess the long-term effects of this unprecedented episode is planned.
The first containment, put in place in France on March 17, 2020, to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, has it had an impact on the health of the general population? This is what the epidemiology and cardiology departments of the Toulouse University Hospital, associated with UMR Inserm 1027, wanted to know.
The researchers chose to work from the “Mona Lisa” cohort (1,500 volunteers in Haute-Garonne took part in 2006-2007 in a large study on cardiovascular risk factors). With the help of around forty volunteers from the epidemiology department, Inserm and the Association de Cardiologie de Midi-Pyrénées, the survey was able to start in mid-April, including 536 participants aged 50 at 89 for a one-hour questionnaire.
“We wanted to go further than the polls and represent the general population which was somewhat forgotten by the confinement. The objective was to see what repercussions the confinement could have on the mood and if there could be cardiovascular damage in the more or less long term ”, explains Dr. Emilie Bérard, doctor-epidemiologist and first author of the PSYCOV-CV study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports.
After 44 days, 63% of subjects presented a worsening of the cardiovascular risk
In their analysis, the researchers show already noticeable cardiovascular and psychological damage. Thus, 63% of subjects present an aggravation of the cardiovascular risk 44 days after the start of confinement: decrease in physical activity, weight gain or deterioration in diet.
Women, the youngest subjects (50-60 years) and people living in urban areas during confinement are more concerned (twice the risk). Just like those who practiced telework (3 times more risk) or those who worked in contact with the public (4 times more risk).
On the other hand, the impact is less important for people who were able to live in confinement resembling their life before, that is to say those who were able to continue working without taking any risks (garbage collectors or administrative staff without contact with the public, for example). The presence of children under 18 at home was noted as a protective factor.
“In public health, we cannot modify risk factors such as age or sex, but we can provide avenues for improvement if a future confinement were to occur,” continues Emilie Bérard.
32% symptoms of anxiety or depression
On the psychological side, symptoms of anxiety or depression appear in 32% of subjects (twice as many in women, 7 times more in people already prone to anxiety disorders and twice as many in those feeling socially isolated).
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The analysis also shows 2.5 times more risk in subjects who do not have confidence in barrier gestures, 5 times more in those without a balcony or terrace, and 5 times more in those for whom the relationship of couple has deteriorated. “Those who had a more balanced diet before confinement were more protected against anxiety and depression,” adds the researcher.
“If a new containment, as hard as the first, is put in place, it will be a disaster”
The investigation was renewed a month after the lifting of containment, six months later (results being analyzed) and will be in mid-April for a 12-month assessment. “On the basis of this first study, if a new confinement, as hard as the first, is put in place, it will be a disaster in terms of cardiovascular and mental health”, summarizes Professor Jean Ferrières, cardiologist at the CHU de Toulouse and director of the ARTERRE team at Inserm.
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