PH and the pandemic: Our other research in this area

1000 Voices

**The lived experiences of the UK’s pulmonary hypertension community during the COVID-19 pandemic**
(*Experiences between April 2020 and July 2021 inclusive*)

This survey was conducted by the PHA UK in 2021 and over 1000 people responded.

Using three separate questionnaires, we asked patients, loved ones, and parents / guardians too, about the impact of the pandemic on many different areas of their lives. We asked for experiences over a 15-month period from the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, to the summer of 2021.

This was a period of time punctured by lockdowns, shielding instructions, and the roll-out of vaccinations. It was a pivotal point of history that affected the PH population in many different ways, as our report shows.

Key Findings

58% of people with PH said their physical health worsened as a result of the pandemic.
47% of people with PH said they found it difficult or very difficult to access support from their GP. 87% said they found it easy or very easy to access support from their specialist PH centre.
43% of people with PH said they had experienced new symptoms of anxiety since the start of the pandemic.
62% of those who live with someone PH describe themselves as an ‘unpaid carer’.
78% of parents / guardians said their child with PH has found the pandemic difficult or very difficult.

Read the report below

Shielded Voices

This research gave a voice to those who made huge sacrifices during the early stages of the pandemic.

The PHA UK conducted this research, in the summer of 2020, to give people with pulmonary hypertension the opportunity to share their lived experiences of shielding.

Over 800 people responded, significantly more than you would find in a clinical trial study. This is an important survey that captures the experiences of people with PH during an unprecedented time.

Read the report below