Opioids are a frequently used method of symptomatic therapy in patients under palliative care and in patients undergoing chronic pain treatment. These patients are at particular risk of being infected with the SARS-COV-2 virus due to the type of disease, disease severity, age, cachexia, or other factors related to the underlying disease. Due to the necessity of treating chronic pain, the type, route of administration and dose of opioids should be taken into account during SARS-COV-2 therapy. Chronic pain relief therapy in these patients increases the risk of adverse drug interactions.

Aim of the study: Analysis of the effects of analgesic treatment in patients treated for SARS-COV-2 previously treated with opioids during hospitalization in the internal medicine ward in southern Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods: The study group consisted of 39 people (21 women and 18 men) hospitalized at the internal ward of the Silesian Provincial Hospital. The study used retrospectively the medical records of the treated patients, a quality of life questionnaire and the NRS pain intensity scale.

Results: In the group of patients included in the analysis, the majority (27 patients - 69%) did not require modification of the opioid dose from the basic analgesic treatment. In the remaining cases, the modification of treatment was insignificant. The most commonly used secondary pain reliever was paracetamol.

Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, pain control in patients infected with SARS-COV-2 previously treated with opioids and hospitalized in the internal medicine ward during the COVID-19 pandemic was achieved. Most often, there was no need to modify the treatment of the underlying pain. The choice of analgesics was adjusted individually. The duration of additional therapy was limited to the necessary minimum, and the lowest effective doses of drugs were administered.