Open AccessA Nationwide Observational Study of Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in Denmark during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s) -
Paula L. Hedley,
Steen Hoffmann,
Ulrik Lausten-Thomsen,
Marianne Voldstedlund,
Karsten Bjerre,
Anders Hviid,
Lone Krebs,
Jørgen Skov Jensen,
Michael Christiansen
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
acta dermato-venereologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.982
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1651-2057
pISSN - 0001-5555
DOI - 10.2340/actadv.v102.2324
Subject(s) - chlamydia trachomatis , confidence interval , medicine , chlamydia , incidence (geometry) , poisson regression , danish , pandemic , covid-19 , population , observational study , rate ratio , epidemiology , logistic regression , demography , virology , immunology , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , linguistics , philosophy , physics , sociology , optics
The aim of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 restrictions had an impact on Chlamydia trachomatis infections compared with 2018 and 2019. A retrospective nationwide observational study was performed using monthly incidences of laboratory-confirmed chlamydia cases and number of tests, obtained from Danish national surveillance data. Testing rates and positivity rates were compared using Poisson and logistic regression. The first Danish COVID-19 lockdown (12 March to 14 April 2020) resulted in a reduction in the number of chlamydia tests performed (rate ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.71–0.73) and a consequent reduction in the number of laboratory-identified cases (66.5 vs 88.3 per 100,000 during the same period in 2018 to 2019). This period was followed by a return of testing and test positivity close to the level seen in 2018 to 2019. The second Danish COVID-19 lockdown (17 December to 31 March 2021) resulted in crude incidence rates of laboratory-confirmed chlamydia infection that were similar to the crude incidence rates seen during same period in 2018 to 2019. In conclusion, the Danish COVID-19 restrictions have had negligible effects on laboratory-confirmed C. trachomatis transmission.