Effect of COVID-19 Control Measures on Other Respiratory Transmitted Diseases

Abstract

Introduction: Measures to control COVID-19 epidemic are likely to enable the control of other respiratory transmitted diseases.

Objective: To determine the effect of the measures applied for the prevention and control of COVID-19 on the incidence of other respiratory transmitted diseases.

Methods: An ecological time series study was carried out. The units of analysis were the time series of the weekly incidence of the cases treated for some infectious diseases (acute respiratory infections, chickenpox, scarlet fever, and viral meningitis) from 2013 to 2020 in Santiago de Cuba. These units were used to create the endemic channels by the infra-maximal and supra-minimal method with series from the 52 weeks between 2013 and 2019, which served as the starting point for the analysis of the 2020 series.

Results: The increase of some respiratory diseases in 2020 coincided with the increase of COVID-19 epidemic in the territory, and from week 15 onwards, it was evidenced a decrease in the incidence which is consistent with the date on which COVID-19 control measures were established (movement restriction, mask wearing, hand washing and disinfection, social distancing, etc.).

Conclusions: Control measures for COVID-19 have exerted a positive impact on the incidence of the selected diseases, which exhibited a reduction below what was expected for 2020 in Santiago de Cuba.