A survey assessing the impact of COVID‐19 and elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ifavacaftor on both physical and mental health in adults with cystic fibrosis

In this letter to the editor, we report 82 persons with CF (PwCF) self‐reported changes in mental and physical health and potential attribution with either the COVID‐19 pandemic and the initiation elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI). Emerging evidence has shown an association with ETI and mental health adverse events. The close proximity of ETI FDA approval and prescribing in PwCF and the COVID‐19 pandemic present a challenge in determining the cause of mental health decline. We report 33 (40%) of respondents felt that COVID‐19 contributed to a worsening of either their anxiety, depression, or both and 7 (9%) of respondents felt that ETI contributed to a worsening in their anxiety, depression, or both. Eighteen (23%) of respondents felt that ETI had contributed to improvement their mental health. This letter highlights multiple factors that could be impacting mental health beyond ETI. As the COVID‐19 pandemic is moving toward an endemic phase, future studies may have more success in deciphering ETI effects on mental health.