{"title":"Clinical effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 on other nationally notifiable infectious diseases in South Korea.","authors":"Hyun-Jin Lee, Beom Seuk Hwang, Seong Ho Im, Seog-Kyun Mun, Munyoung Chang","doi":"10.3904/kjim.2023.501","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aims: </strong>This study aimed to assess the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on nationally notifiable infectious diseases (NNIDs) in South Korea.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Long-term data on seven NNIDs from 2018 to 2021 were analyzed to identify trends and change points using a change point detection technique. The timings of the NPI implementations were compared to the identified change points to determine their association.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Varicella, mumps, and scarlet fever showed a significant decrease in incidence following the implementation of NPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. These diseases, which are primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, demonstrated a clear response to NPIs. However, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) showed an increasing trend unrelated to the timing of NPI implementation, suggesting the complex nature of controlling healthcare-associated infections. Hepatitis A, hepatitis C, and scrub typhus did not show significant changes associated with NPIs, likely due to their non-respiratory route of transmission.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>NPIs effectively controlled NNIDs, particularly those transmitted through respiratory infections. However, the impact varied depending on the disease. Understanding the effectiveness and limitations of NPIs is crucial for developing comprehensive public health strategies during infectious disease outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":48785,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Internal Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11384254/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Korean Journal of Internal Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2023.501","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/8/13 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background/aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on nationally notifiable infectious diseases (NNIDs) in South Korea.
Methods: Long-term data on seven NNIDs from 2018 to 2021 were analyzed to identify trends and change points using a change point detection technique. The timings of the NPI implementations were compared to the identified change points to determine their association.
Results: Varicella, mumps, and scarlet fever showed a significant decrease in incidence following the implementation of NPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. These diseases, which are primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, demonstrated a clear response to NPIs. However, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) showed an increasing trend unrelated to the timing of NPI implementation, suggesting the complex nature of controlling healthcare-associated infections. Hepatitis A, hepatitis C, and scrub typhus did not show significant changes associated with NPIs, likely due to their non-respiratory route of transmission.
Conclusion: NPIs effectively controlled NNIDs, particularly those transmitted through respiratory infections. However, the impact varied depending on the disease. Understanding the effectiveness and limitations of NPIs is crucial for developing comprehensive public health strategies during infectious disease outbreaks.
期刊介绍:
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine is an international medical journal published in English by the Korean Association of Internal Medicine. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed original articles, reviews, and editorials on all aspects of medicine, including clinical investigations and basic research. Both human and experimental animal studies are welcome, as are new findings on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Case reports will be published only in exceptional circumstances, when they illustrate a rare occurrence of clinical importance. Letters to the editor are encouraged for specific comments on published articles and general viewpoints.