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Multicenter Study
. 2022 Feb 1;41(2):91-96.
doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003414.

Differential Impact of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on the Epidemiology of Invasive Bacterial Infections in Children During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Ye Kyung Kim  1 , Youn Young Choi  2 , Hyunju Lee  3   4 , Eun Song Song  5 , Jong Gyun Ahn  6 , Su Eun Park  7 , Taekjin Lee  8 , Hye-Kyung Cho  9 , Jina Lee  10 , Yae-Jean Kim  11 , Dae Sun Jo  12 , Hyun Mi Kang  13 , Joon Kee Lee  14 , Chun Soo Kim  15 , Dong Hyun Kim  16 , Hwang Min Kim  17 , Jae Hong Choi  18 , Byung Wook Eun  19 , Nam Hee Kim  20 , Eun Young Cho  21 , Yun-Kyung Kim  22 , Chi Eun Oh  23 , Kyung-Hyo Kim  24 , Eun Hwa Choi  1   4
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Differential Impact of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on the Epidemiology of Invasive Bacterial Infections in Children During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Ye Kyung Kim et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. .

Abstract

Background: Invasive bacterial infection (IBI) remains a major burden of mortality and morbidity in children. As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged, stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were applied worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of NPIs on pediatric IBI in Korea.

Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, surveillance for pediatric IBIs caused by 9 pathogens (S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, N. meningitidis, S. agalactiae, S. pyogenes, S. aureus, Salmonella species, L. monocytogenes and E. coli) was performed at 22 hospitals throughout Korea. Annual incidence rates were compared before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: A total of 651 cases were identified and the annual incidence was 194.0 cases per 100,000 in-patients in 2018, 170.0 in 2019 and 172.4 in 2020. Most common pathogen by age group was S. agalactiae in infants < 3 months (n = 129, 46.7%), S. aureus in 3 to < 24 months (n = 35, 37.2%), Salmonella spp. in 24 to < 60 months (n = 24, 34.8%) and S. aureus in children ≥ 5 years (n = 128, 60.7%). Compared with 2018 to 2019, the incidence rate in 2020 decreased by 57% for invasive pneumococcal disease (26.6 vs. 11.5 per 100,000 in-patients, P = 0.014) and 59% for Salmonella spp. infection (22.8 vs. 9.4 per 100,000 in-patients, P = 0.018). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in invasive infections due to S. aureus, S. agalactiae and E. coli.

Conclusions: The NPIs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced invasive diseases caused by S. pneumoniae and Salmonella spp. but not S. aureus, S. agalactiae and E. coli in children.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Proportion of etiologic organism by age group.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Age proportion of invasive bacterial infection by year (2018–2020).
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Annual trend in the number of weekly count for invasive bacterial infection by etiologic agent. A, Annual cumulative isolate count of invasive bacterial infection by etiologic organism from 2018 to 2020. B, Annual cumulative incidence of invasive bacterial infection in children by etiologic organism from 2018 to 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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