Limitations
Our study is limited by its observational design and shorter follow-up period. As with observational cohorts the possibility of residual confounding remains. One should keep in mind the potential bias emerging due to healthcare services concentrating on the treatment of COVID-19 cases and possibly leading to the cancellation of routine services, such as office visits for established chronic conditions. This extent of possible bias is not known but should be kept in mind. Additional research would be required to assess the implications of these results on integrated care management for such AF patients.