Fewer non-Covid-19 respiratory tract infections and gastro-intestinal infections during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nFor preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, measures like wearing mask, 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.\n\n\nMETHODS\nPatients 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 acute RTI and GII between April 2019 - March 2020 and April 2020 - March 2021.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn GP practices, 715,440 patients were diagnosed with RTI or GII in the non-pandemic period versus 468,753 in the pandemic period; the same trend was observed by pediatricians (275,033 vs. 165,127). By GPs the strongest decrease was observed for the diagnosis of influenza (-71%, p<0.001), followed by acute laryngitis (-64%, p<0.001), acute lower respiratory infections (bronchitis) (-62%, p<0.001), and intestinal infections (-40%, p<0.001). In contrast, the relatively rare viral pneumonia strongly increased by 229% (p<0.001). In pediatrician practices, there was a strong decrease in infection diagnoses, especially influenza (-90%, p<0.001), pneumonia (-73%, p<0.001 viral; -76%, p<0.001 other pneumonias), and acute sinusitis (-66%, p<0.001). No increase was observed for viral pneumonia in children.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThe considerable limitations concerning social life implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2 also resulted in an inadvertent but welcome reduction in other non-Covid-19 respiratory tract and gastro-intestinal infections. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.