The Challenges COVID-19 presents for Autistic People
I
t would be an understatement to say that this year has taken all of us by surprise. The coronavirus pandemic has radically changed the way we live.
Dr Silvana Uniqwe
Dr Silvana Unigwe is a GP based in London. She has worked with the Royal College of General Practitioners to enhance autism awareness in primary care and has collaborated with the National Autistic Society and Autistica. Dr Unigwe is interested in improving access to healthcare and promoting mental wellbeing in vulnerable patient groups.
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With the first wave of COVID-19, healthcare systems had to adjust to large numbers of people becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment. This led to the postponement of outpatient appointments and treatments, as well as elective operations. In general practice we moved to a largely telephonebased triage appointment system. Most consultations are now conducted remotely (by telephone, video or online platforms), although face-to-face consultations still occur when needed. Some patients appreciate the convenience of engaging in remote consultations from the comfort of their home, and technology has made some aspects of our work as health and care professionals more efficient. That said, there are concerns that many patients have experienced barriers to accessing healthcare during this pandemic and that this might have led to delayed diagnoses and premature mortality for some.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 1% of the population, occurring more in males than females. Presentation differs from one person to another, but the core features are persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. Many individuals also have sensory sensitivities. Various conditions can co-exist with autism, such as learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety and epilepsy. A study conducted a few years ago in Sweden reported increased premature mortality in people with ASD compared to the general population.1 In the UK, the Westminster Commission on Autism reported that 74% of respondents to their survey felt that autistic people receive a “worse” or “much worse” health service than their non-autistic counterparts.2 With this in mind, we need to be especially aware of the impact of COVID-19 on the health of autistic patients, who as a group were already at a disadvantage before the pandemic.
