Effects of the enhanced public health intervention during the COVID-19 epidemic on respiratory and gastrointestinal infectious diseases in China.

Abstract

The public health interventions to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) could also potentially reduce the global activity of influenza. However, this strategy's impact on other common infectious diseases is unknown. We collected data of 10 respiratory infectious (RI) diseases, influenza‐like illnesses (ILIs), and seven gastrointestinal infectious (GI) diseases during 2015–2020 in China and applied two proportional tests to check the differences in the yearly incidence and mortality, and case‐fatality rates (CFRs) over the years 2015–2020. The results showed that the overall RI activity decreased by 7.47%, from 181.64 in 2015–2019 to 168.08 per 100 000 in 2020 (p < 0.001); however, the incidence of influenza was seen to have a 16.08% escalation (p < 0.001). In contrast, the average weekly ILI percentage and positive influenza virus rate decreased by 6.25% and 61.94%, respectively, in 2020 compared to the previous 5 years (all p < 0.001). The overall incidence of GI decreased by 45.28%, from 253.73 in 2015–2019 to 138.84 in 2020 per 100 000 (p < 0.001), and with the greatest decline seen in hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) (64.66%; p < 0.001). The mortality and CFRs from RI increased by 128.49% and 146.95%, respectively, in 2020, compared to 2015–2019 (p < 0.001). However, the mortality rates and CFRs of seven GI decreased by 70.56% and 46.12%, respectively (p < 0.001). In conclusion, China's COVID‐19 elimination/containment strategy is very effective in reducing the incidence rates of RI and GI, and ILI activity, as well as the mortality and CFRs of GI diseases.