The Korean journal of internal medicine

The Korean Association of Internal Medicine (대한내과학회)
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Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the incidence of other infectious diseases in the hematology hospital in Korea

  • Seohee Oh (Catholic Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Yu-Sun Sung (Catholic Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Mihee Jang (Catholic Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Yong-Jin Kim (Catholic Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Hyun-Wook Park (Catholic Medical Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Dukhee Nho (Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Dong-Gun Lee (Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Hyeon Woo Yim (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Sung-Yeon Cho (Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • Received : 2023.11.19
  • Accepted : 2024.02.05
  • Published : 2024.05.01
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Abstract

Background/Aims: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic. Results: The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Statistical consultation was supported by the Department of Biostatistics of the Catholic Research Coordinating Center.

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