The impact of physical restriction measures imposed during the two waves of COVID-19 on chlamydia and gonorrhea diagnoses in Belgium. Results of an sexually transmitted infection clinic.

International Journal of STD & AIDS
Irith De BaetselierNRC-STI research group

Abstract

Background: During the first two waves of COVID-19, several physical restriction measurements were imposed in Belgium. Our aim was to explore the impact of these restriction measures on the number of tests and positivity rate of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT)/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) before, during, and after the two lockdowns in Belgium. Methods: Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae molecular data of a Belgian STI clinic were extracted for 2019 and 2020, and both years were divided into four periods (pre-lockdown 1, lockdown 1, after lockdown 1, and lockdown 2). Weekly testing rates and positivity rate for both STIs were estimated, and mixed-effects logistic regression was used to explore statistical significant changes between both years, and the different periods were compared with the corresponding time period in 2019. The same analysis was done for pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP) users only. Results: No overall significant changes in positivity rate were found for either CT (8.0% in 2019 and 7.8% in 2020) or NG (4.5% in 2019 and 5.5% in 2020). Besides a significant drop in the number of CT/NG tests during lockdown 1 (decrease of 87%) and a subsequent increase in NG positivity rate (p > 0.05), no changes in CT/NG positi...Continue Reading

References

Nov 3, 2020·Sexually Transmitted Infections·Matthew A CraneKhalil G Ghanem

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