tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Med Internet Res
. 2020 Aug 1.
doi: 10.2196/21257. Online ahead of print.
Wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing contribute to the decrease of influenza and all-cause pneumonia in coronavirus pandemic: a retrospective national epidemiological surveillance study
Nan-Chang Chiu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Hsin Chi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yu-Lin Tai[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chun-Chih Peng[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Cheng-Yin Tseng[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chung-Chu Chen[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Boon-Fatt Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Chien-Yu Lin[SUP] 3 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was an important health crisis worldwide and several strategies were implemented to combat COVID-19, including wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing. The entire impact of these strategies on COVID-19 and other viral infections remained largely unclear.
Objective: To investigate the impact of implemented infectious control strategies on the incidences of influenza virus infection, enterovirus infection, and all-cause pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We utilized the electronic database of national surveillance infectious disease statistics system of Taiwan and extracted the incidences of COVID-19, influenza virus, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia. We compared the incidences of these diseases from week 45 of 2016 to week 21 of 2020 and calculated the R-squared value of linear trend estimation.
Results: The COVID-19 pandemic began in week 4 of 2020. These infectious control strategies were promoted since late January. Influenza virus usually peaked in winter and decreased around week 14. However, a significant decrease of influenza was observed after week 6 of 2020. The R-squared values for 2017-2020 were 0.037, 0.021, 0.046 and 0.599 respectively. A dramatic decrease of all-cause pneumonia was also reported (R-squared values for 2017-2020 were 0.435, 0.098, 0.352 and 0.82 respectively). Enterovirus increased by week 18 in 2017-2019 but it didn't increase in 2020.
Conclusions: Using this national epidemiological database, we found a significant decrease of influenza, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia during COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing may contribute not only to prevention of COVID-19, but also to decrease of other respiratory infectious diseases. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationship.
. 2020 Aug 1.
doi: 10.2196/21257. Online ahead of print.
Wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing contribute to the decrease of influenza and all-cause pneumonia in coronavirus pandemic: a retrospective national epidemiological surveillance study
Nan-Chang Chiu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Hsin Chi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yu-Lin Tai[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chun-Chih Peng[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Cheng-Yin Tseng[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Chung-Chu Chen[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Boon-Fatt Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Chien-Yu Lin[SUP] 3 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32750008
- DOI: 10.2196/21257
Abstract
Background: Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was an important health crisis worldwide and several strategies were implemented to combat COVID-19, including wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing. The entire impact of these strategies on COVID-19 and other viral infections remained largely unclear.
Objective: To investigate the impact of implemented infectious control strategies on the incidences of influenza virus infection, enterovirus infection, and all-cause pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We utilized the electronic database of national surveillance infectious disease statistics system of Taiwan and extracted the incidences of COVID-19, influenza virus, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia. We compared the incidences of these diseases from week 45 of 2016 to week 21 of 2020 and calculated the R-squared value of linear trend estimation.
Results: The COVID-19 pandemic began in week 4 of 2020. These infectious control strategies were promoted since late January. Influenza virus usually peaked in winter and decreased around week 14. However, a significant decrease of influenza was observed after week 6 of 2020. The R-squared values for 2017-2020 were 0.037, 0.021, 0.046 and 0.599 respectively. A dramatic decrease of all-cause pneumonia was also reported (R-squared values for 2017-2020 were 0.435, 0.098, 0.352 and 0.82 respectively). Enterovirus increased by week 18 in 2017-2019 but it didn't increase in 2020.
Conclusions: Using this national epidemiological database, we found a significant decrease of influenza, enterovirus, and all-cause pneumonia during COVID-19 pandemic. Wearing masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing may contribute not only to prevention of COVID-19, but also to decrease of other respiratory infectious diseases. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationship.