Open Access

Julie Semenchuk, Yumi Naito, Susan C. Charman, Siobhán B. Carr, Stephanie Y. Cheng, Bruce C. Marshall, Albert Faro, Alexander Elbert, Hector H. Gutierrez, Christopher H. Goss, Bulent Karadag, Pierre-Régis Burgel, Carla Colombo, Marco Salvatore, Rita Padoan, Géraldine Daneau, Satenik Harutyunyan, Nataliya Kashirskaya, Laura Kirwan, Peter G. Middleton, Rasa Ruseckaite, Isabelle de Monestrol, Lutz Naehrlich, Pedro Mondejar-Lopez, Andreas Jung, Jacqui van Rens, Egil Bakkeheim, Annalisa Orenti, Domenique Zomer-van Ommen, Luiz Vicente R. F. da Silva-Filho, Flavia Fonseca Fernandes, Marco Zampoli, Anne L. Stephenson, Anette Scharschinger

• Background Factors associated with severe COVID-19 infection have been identified; however, the impact of infection on longer-term outcomes is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 infection on the trajectory of lung function and nutritional status in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Methods This is a retrospective global cohort study of pwCF who had confirmed COVID-19 infection diagnosed between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Forced expiratory volume in one second percent predicted (ppFEV1) and body mass index (BMI) twelve months prior to and following a diagnosis of COVID-19 were recorded. Change in mean ppFEV1 and BMI were compared using a t-test. A linear mixed-effects model was used to estimate change over time and to compare the rate of change before and after infection. Results A total of 6,500 cases of COVID-19 in pwCF from 33 countries were included for analysis. The mean difference in ppFEV1 pre- and post-infection was 1.4Background Factors associated with severe COVID-19 infection have been identified; however, the impact of infection on longer-term outcomes is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 infection on the trajectory of lung function and nutritional status in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Methods This is a retrospective global cohort study of pwCF who had confirmed COVID-19 infection diagnosed between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Forced expiratory volume in one second percent predicted (ppFEV1) and body mass index (BMI) twelve months prior to and following a diagnosis of COVID-19 were recorded. Change in mean ppFEV1 and BMI were compared using a t-test. A linear mixed-effects model was used to estimate change over time and to compare the rate of change before and after infection. Results A total of 6,500 cases of COVID-19 in pwCF from 33 countries were included for analysis. The mean difference in ppFEV1 pre- and post-infection was 1.4 %, (95 % CI 1.1, 1.7). In those not on modulators, the difference in rate of change pre- and post-infection was 1.34 %, (95 % CI -0.88, 3.56) per year (p = 0.24) and -0.74 % (-1.89, 0.41) per year (p = 0.21) for those on elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor. No clinically significant change was noted in BMI or BMI percentile before and after COVID-19 infection. Conclusions No clinically meaningful impact on lung function and BMI trajectory in the year following infection with COVID-19 was identified. This work highlights the ability of the global CF community to unify and address critical issues facing pwCF.…