Vpliv nefarmakoloških ukrepov na pojavnost noric v času epidemije koronavirusne bolezni 2019 v Sloveniji
The impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on chickenpox incidences during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic in Slovenia

slovenian

2023

volume 62, issue 1

chickenpox   coronavirus disease 2019   epidemiology

Društvo Medicinski razgledi
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Backgrounds. Many countries have implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of the article is to determine if and how the epidemiological characteristics of chickenpox have changed since March 2020, which marked the introduction of non-pharmaceutical preventive measures against the COVID-19 epidemic. Our expectations are that during the epidemic the number of reported cases of chickenpox in Slovenia has indeed decreased. Methods. We have assessed data on the reported cases of chickenpox in Slovenia collected between 2015 and 2021, which included information regarding gender, age group, and the month when disease was reported. Results. Since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of reported chickenpox cases has decreased. Between 2015 and 2019, the average annual incidence rate of chickenpox was 546.3 per 100,000 people, with a sharp decline observed in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, it was 210.0, and in 2021 it was 227.4 per 100,000 people. The lowest incidence rate was recorded in 2020 when the COVID-19 epidemic was declared for the first time. Discussion. Based on the collected data, we can conclude that the observed decline in the number of reported chickenpox cases is very likely due to various protective measures being implemented during the COVID-19 epidemic.

01.07.2023