Fewer non‐COVID‐19 respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal infections during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

For preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, measures like wearing masks, social distancing, and hand hygiene played crucial roles. These measures may also have affected the expansion of other infectious diseases like respiratory tract infections (RTI) and gastro-intestinal infections (GII).Therefore, we aimed to investigate non-COVID-19 related RTI and GII during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with a diagnosis of an acute RTI (different locations) or acute GII documented anonymously in 994 general practitioner (GP) or 192 pediatrician practices in Germany were included. We compared the prevalence of

Control of common viral epidemics but not of SARS-CoV-2 through the application of hygiene and distancing measures

“…This has been particularly noticed for influenza virus infections [28] . Tanislav and Kostev reported fewer non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal infections during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic [38] . They collected data from 994 general practitioners and 192 pediatricians in Germany and compared the prevalence of these infections between April 2020-March 2021 and April 2019-March 2020.…”

¿Qué hemos dejado de atender por la COVID-19? Diagnósticos perdidos y seguimientos demorados. Informe SESPAS 2022

“…Algunas enfermedades agudas han visto disminuida su incidencia por las medidas de prevención del SARS-CoV-2, al haber podido alterar su mecanismo de transmisión. Se ha comunicado una disminución de los episodios de bronquitis, conjuntivitis, sinusitis, gripe y faringoamigdalitis 21 , 22 , 23 . En el caso concreto de la bronquiolitis aguda, en España se ha observado cómo en 2021 ha desaparecido la temporada epidémica de bronquiolitis aguda de su ubicación cronológica habitual.…”

Effect of the COVID-19 Outbreak on the Incidence of Other Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections in Children in Thai Binh, Vietnam in 2020

“…Several papers on epidemiological changes of RTIs were published to date [ 9 , 13 – 23 ], but studies on GIIs during the COVID-19 pandemic remain scant [ 13 , 24 ]. In a survey of Park et al, surveillance data from the South Korean National Respiratory Virus Sentinel Surveillance System showed a decreased number of hospitalized patients with acute viral respiratory infections in 2020.…”

“…In a comparative study conducted in 994 general practitioners and 192 pediatrician practices in Germany, acute RTIs and GIIs were significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with the non-pandemic period (− 62% for RTIs and − 40% for GIIS) [ 13 ].…”