Months Of COVID-19 Research Articles

Tracking aspects of healthcare activity during the first nine months of COVID-19 in Ireland: a secondary analysis of publicly available data.

Sláintecare aims to introduce universal healthcare in Ireland. The COVID-19 pandemic poses both challenges and opportunities to this process. This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on aspects of Irish healthcare during the first nine months of the pandemic and considers the implications for Sláintecare implementation. Secondary analysis was undertaken on publicly available data on three key domains of the Irish healthcare system: primary care, community-based allied healthcare, and hospitals. Descriptive statistics were computed using Microsoft Excel 2016. Up to March 2021, 3.76 million COVID-19 tests were performed by Ireland's public healthcare system, 2.48 million (66.0%) of which were referred from the community. General practitioners delivered 2.31 million telephone triages of COVID-19 symptoms, peaking in December 2020 when 416,607 consultations occurred. Patient numbers across eight allied healthcare specialties fell by 35.1% versus previous years, with the greatest reductions seen in speech and language therapy (49.0%) and audiology (46.1%). Hospital waiting lists increased from 729,937 to 869,676 (or by 19.1%) from January 2019 to January 2021. In January 2021, 629,919 patients awaited a first outpatient clinic appointment, with 170,983 (27.1%) waiting longer than 18 months. The largest outpatient lists were observed in orthopaedic surgery (n=77,257); ear, nose and throat surgery (n=68,073); and ophthalmology (n=47,075). The proportion of patients waiting more than 12 months for a day-case gastrointestinal endoscopy rose from 6.0% in January 2020 to 19.0% in January 2021. Healthcare activity has been significantly disrupted by COVID-19, leading to increased wait times and greater barriers to healthcare access during the pandemic. Yet, Ireland's health system responses also revealed strong willingness and ability to adapt and to implement novel solutions for healthcare delivery, rapidly and at scale. This has demonstrated what is achievable under Sláintecare and provides a unique opportunity to 'build back better' towards sustainable recovery.

Becoming killable – meatpacking and kinship among covid-19

ABSTRACT In the early months of Covid-19, meatpacking plants were designated “essential” infrastructure, sending laborers back to work, despite the high risk. Animal bodies were deemed essential to produce, but the human bodies producing them were not deemed essential to protect. Concurrently, the zoonotic nature of COVID-19 challenged dominant narratives of human exceptionalism, reminding us of our animality and shared vulnerabilities. As the pandemic surged, the question of whose lives matter arose in social and political discourse, alongside critiques of social institutions and economic systems. This paper explores the multispecies intersections and potential kinships that were unveiled by Covid-19.

Understanding Stakeholder Engagement in HE During the Early Months of COVID-19 Using CATA

Understanding Stakeholder Engagement in HE During the Early Months of COVID-19 Using CATA

FEResearchmeet. A further education (FE) practitioner–researcher-led, initiative to share and develop capacity for research and scholarship across Wales and England: analysing and theorising the period of initial development

ABSTRACT This paper analyses emergent issues from four conceptualisers of FEResearchmeet. FEResearchmeet claims to be a free and democratic model for building and supporting engagement with research, led by practitioners. The narratives presented seek to document and analyse FEResearchmeet as a movement across the first three years since its inception (2017–2020). After setting out the context and methodology of the work, narrative one explores how a reaction against New Public Management (NPM) sparked an event and how this grew into a movement of collaborating individuals seeking to reposition their voices and knowledge. The second narrative looked at how an early ‘meet’ was used to challenge norms and barriers to research by creating safe spaces for the development of expertise. Narrative three journeys through the early months of COVID-19 to explore how capacity building through collaboration allows sector workers to value their voices. These narratives lead to a critique of the epistemological changes these experiences have developed and have the potential to develop in the future. The paper concludes by arguing that FEResearchmeet was a reaction against NPM by agentic practitioners who used collaboration and capacity building as tools to create new pools of knowledge in an attempt to change this position.

The contributions of community-led newspapers to the resilience of Rio’s Maré and Rocinha favelas during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This article explores how two community-led newspapers in Maré and Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, promoted social resilience in their respective favelas during the first 6 months of COVID-19. We reviewed stories published in both newspapers and interviewed a sample of their journalists to investigate the newspapers’ responses to the pandemic’s effects, government policies (or lack thereof), and resident reactions to evolving virus-related risks during our study period. We employed Keck and Sakdapolrak’s social resilience framework to examine our data and found that the newspapers contributed significantly to the resilience of both communities during our study period. Contrary to the neoliberal view of resilience as self-reliance, these newspapers sought instead to encourage sustained collective agency and to challenge oppressive governance through generative activities and advocacy. Our findings deepen understanding of the role of community-organized activities in marginalized populations’ struggles to assert their right to the city, particularly during crises.

Using Online Tutorials to Teach Citation: A Work in Progress

After receiving troubling data about graduating students’ abilities to cite their work, the librarians at Cal Poly Pomona sought to respond to these findings by creating a suite of online video tutorials to aid student learning. These tutorials included brief assessment quizzes to aid in gauging student understanding. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 greatly accelerated the process of tutorial creation and implementation, as they became a key tool for instructional outreach during pandemic lockdowns. This article will discuss the process of planning, implementation and piloting of these citation tutorials during the early months of COVID-19.

Examining universal access to acute hospital care in Ireland during the first three months of COVID-19: Lessons from the policy process

Background The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Irish state to address unprecedented challenges by prioritising public health and equitable access to care. Confronted with the threat of overwhelmed capacity in acute public hospitals, Ireland, initiated a historic Safety Net Agreement (SNA) with 19 private hospitals in March 2020, marking the inaugural establishment of universal single-tier access to hospital care in Ireland. This research aimed to comprehensively examine the policy process underlying the agreement, deriving insights for the implementation of Universal Healthcare. Methods Employing a retrospective qualitative case study approach, the research examined the policy process, including the content, context, actors, and mechanisms involved in the SNA’s implementation. The study used a dataset of 68 policy documents and conducted seven key informant interviews. Results Responding to the pandemic, Ireland classified COVID-19 as a notifiable infectious disease under the 1947 Health Act, exempting affected patients from public hospital charges. The government swiftly implemented health policy measures for universal access through the SNA, recognising challenges in public healthcare capacity and ethical dilemmas within the two-tier hospital system. The agreement's discontinuation was heavily influenced by private hospital consultants, revealing strained relationships and misunderstandings of the private sector. The ongoing policy drift since the pandemic highlights the need for a reassessment of private-sector strategies to alleviate capacity pressures in Ireland's public health system. The SNA also sparked the consideration of a Universal Health Insurance model for Ireland's hospital care. Conclusions Exploring the policy dynamics at the intersection of public and private healthcare, the study imparts lessons for health system reform. The insights have the potential to contribute to long-term goal alignment, robust governance practices, and trust-building mechanisms for effective public-private collaborations in a two-tier health system, offering valuable guidance for future healthcare policy and implementation.

Abstinence duration and psychopathology among addiction outpatients during 18 months of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of patients with substance use disorder (SUD). However, few longitudinal studies have been done which examine associations between the pandemic, SUD patients' mental health and their drug use. This study aimed to examine duration of abstinence according to psychiatric status among SUD outpatients followed-up for 18 months from the pandemic related lockdown. A follow-up study of 316 SUD outpatients was undertaken. Sociodemographic features, and clinical and consumption related variables were recorded. Pre, during and post lockdown information was evaluated. Abstinence/substance use was monitored at the patient's scheduled follow-up appointments, and psychiatric disorders and psychological variables were revaluated at 18 months. Survival analyses were used to compare the duration of abstinence (in months) from the beginning of the lockdown. It was observed that 70% of patients consumed the main substance for which they were being treated at some point during the follow-up. Men, younger patients, those with more symptoms of anxiety and personality disorders, and patients who experienced increased craving during follow-up, showed shorter duration of abstinence. While patients who had previously maintained at least one year of abstinence, achieved better results. During the first year and a half of the pandemic, SUD outpatients presented alterations in mental health, such us anxiety, depression and maladaptive personality traits and a high rate of relapse. For this reason, despite the health and social crisis and their restrictive measures, a comprehensive treatment should be ensured.

Maintaining family engagement during the initial months of COVID-19 in an early childhood nature program

Maintaining family engagement during the initial months of COVID-19 in an early childhood nature program

How mutual aid proliferation developed solidarity and sense of collective responsibility in the early months of COVID-19.

Although mutual aid organizing is a social movement practice long sustained by queer/trans people, immigrants, people of color, and disability communities, among other communities pushed to the margins of society, with the emergence of the COVID-19pandemic, and subsequent government failures in addressing unmet needs, mutual aid proliferated into new (and more socially privileged) communities in the United States and across the world. Amidst this landscape of extraordinary and unique crises, our study sought to understand the benefits experienced by those engaged in mutual aid in the early months of the COVID-19pandemic in the state of Colorado, United States. Our team conducted semistructured individual interviews with 25 individuals participating in mutual aid through groups organized on social media or through intentional communities. We found that participants, who engaged in mutual aid in the early months of the COVID-19pandemic, built empathy, a sense of nonjudgement, and critical consciousness as they created common ground as humans. Participants also found mutual aid engagement to provide nourishing support, to hold pain among more people, and, simply to "feel good." We discuss the potential implications of these benefits for sustaining mutual aid movements through the ongoing COVID-19pandemic in the United States and beyond.

Responding with care: ethical measures in the fashion industry during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the ethical responses of the fashion industry to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when the entire world was shocked by the rapid spread of the virus. The authors describe lessons from emergency ethics of care in the fashion industry during the initial months of COVID-19, which can assist fashion managers in improving ethical decisions in future operations.Design/methodology/approachRapid qualitative research methods were employed by conducting real-time, in-depth interviews with key informants from multinational fashion companies operating in Spain, a severely affected region. A content analysis of news articles published during the first months of 2020 was conducted.FindingsFive critical disruptions in the fashion industry were identified: (1) changes in public needs, (2) transportation and distribution backlogs, (3) defective and counterfeit supplies, (4) stakeholder relationships at stake and (5) managers' coping challenges. Additionally, five business survival responses with a strong ethics of care component were identified, implemented by some fashion companies to mitigate the damage: (1) adapting production for public well-being, (2) enhancing the flexibility of logistic networks, (3) emphasizing quality and innovation, (4) reinventing stakeholder collaborations and (5) practicing responsible leadership.Originality/valueDespite the well-documented controversies surrounding unethical practices within the fashion industry, even during COVID-19, our findings inform managers of the potential and capability of fashion companies to operate more responsibly. The lessons learned can guide fashion companies' operations in a post-pandemic society. Furthermore, they can address other grand challenges, such as natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts and climate change.

When Patients with Plasma Cell Disorders Encountered the Largest Omicron Wave (December 2022) in China: A Real-World Multicenter and Multiregional Study

Background: An unprecedented nationwide Omicron outbreak hit China in December 2022. Patients with plasma cell disorders have been confirmed to exhibit worse outcomes following COVID-19 infection, although data on the impact of Omicron on this population in China remain scarce. This study aims to report the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of plasma cell disorder patients during this major Omicron outbreak. It also analyzes the association between patient clinical characteristics and clinical course (infection, severity, hospitalization, and time to recovery) of COVID-19. Methods: We performed a multicenter and multiregional retrospective study primarily involving nine large tertiary hematology centers across nine provinces/cities in China. The study period was limited to December 1 st, 2022 - January 19 th, 2023. A total of 404 plasma cell disorder patients participated in the survey. Results: During follow-up, 342 patients had a laboratory or clinical diagnosis of COVID-19. The prevalence of COVID-19 within the study population was 76.2%. Among those with COVID-19, the majority were with multiple myeloma (325, 95.0%), and over half (201, 58.8%) were unvaccinated. At the time of COVID-19, 121 (40.1%) patients were undergoing maintenance therapy. Ninety (31.3%) patients had prior exposure to anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, while 25 (8.7%) to CAR-T. The rates of severe illness and hospitalization were 16.4% and 20.5%, respectively. Four (5.7%) patients required ICU support and only two (2/277, 0.7%) deaths were reported. As of the data cutoff date (January 19 th, 2023), 231 (231/277, 83.4%) patients had recovered from COVID-19, with a median time to recovery of 14 days (95% CI: 13-15 days). Multivariate analysis identified age > 65 (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.05-2.05, P = 0.02) and anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody within six months of COVID-19 (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03-2.09, P = 0.03) as independent risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness. Prior CAR-T therapy within six months was correlated with an increased risk of hospitalization (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.07-11.4, P = 0.04) and prolonged time to recovery (HR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.93, P = 0.03). Compared to maintenance therapy, patients at the induction or consolidation therapy stage had an elevated risk of hospitalization following COVID-19 (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.04-2.33, P = 0.03). Notably, no significant protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination on infection or severe infection rates was observed ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Although the impact of Omicron appears attenuated in plasma cell disorder patients, this vulnerable population still exhibits higher rates of severe illness and poorer outcomes compared to the general population. Apart from known risk factor (i.e. older age), certain treatment-related factors, including induction/consolidation therapy stage, recent anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody exposure, and prior CAR-T therapy, are associated with increased risks of severe COVID-19, hospitalization, and prolonged time to recovery. However, the protective effect of vaccination against COVID-19 is not identified. The findings from this work provide implications for the clinical management of PCD patients during the pandemic under the likely scenario of future resurgences of COVID-19.

Veterans and Nonveterans Coping With Stress During 4 Months of COVID-19.

Identifying how people have been coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic allows us to anticipate how the population may react to similar stressors over time. In this study, we assessed patterns of coping styles among veterans and nonveterans, and stability and change in these strategies at 3 time points during the pandemic. Using an online survey platform, we circulated a questionnaire at 3 time points during the period when COVID-19 vaccines became widely available (December 2-27, 2020; January 21-February 6, 2021; and March 8-23, 2021). The questionnaire asked participants about their extent of use of 11 coping strategies, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. A total of 2,085 participants (50.8% veterans) completed the questionnaire at 1 or more time points and 930 participants (62.8% veterans) completed it at all 3 time points. Cluster analysis identified 3 distinct coping styles: adaptive, distressed, and disengaged. Compared with nonveterans, veterans more commonly had adaptive and disengaged coping styles, and less commonly had a distressed coping style. The majority of the cohort (71.3%) changed coping style at least once during the study period. Participants who used the same coping style across all 3 time points reported lower levels of anxiety and depression. Our data demonstrate a need to better understand the dynamic nature of coping with pandemic-level stressors across time. We did not find patterns of change in coping styles, but our findings point to potential advantages of stability in coping style. It is possible that less adaptive styles that are more stable may be advantageous for mental health. This research has implications for supporting patients dealing with stress in family medicine.

Characteristic of hospitalized COVID 19 patients with gastrointestinal manifestation and liver injury

Background: COVID-19 is known to affect the digestive and liver systems. These can occur during the disease, and the prevalence was varied widely. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and liver injury. Methods: The data collected from the first 3 months of COVID-19 hospitalized patients (April – June 2020). We analyzed patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea or vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, and anorexia) and patients with liver injury (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (> 45 U/L for men and > 34 U/L for women) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (> 35 U/L for men and > 31 U/L for women) at admission), then compared their clinical features with those who did not show gastrointestinal symptoms and liver injury. Results: A total of 232 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included. Gastrointestinal symptoms were found in 16.4% of patients. The symptoms were diarrhea (3.01%), anorexia (1.72%), nausea or vomiting (12.06%), and abdominal pain or discomfort (1.72%). The patients with gastrointestinal symptoms were more likely than those without to be admitted to the intensive ward (13.15% vs. 2.5%; p= 0.012). The elevation of liver aminotransferase levels on admission was found in 40.9% of patients. Longer hospitalization (15 days vs 11 days; p= 0.007) more likely to have liver injury. Conclusion: Patients with liver injury had a longer hospital stay than patients without liver injury, while gastrointestinal symptoms have no significance on the duration of hospitalization.

Characteristic of hospitalized COVID 19 patients with of gastrointestinal manifestation and liver injury

Background: COVID-19 is known to affect the digestive and liver systems. These can occur during the disease, and the prevalence was varied widely. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and liver injury. Methods: The data collected from the first 3 months of COVID-19 hospitalized patients (April – June 2020). We analyzed patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea or vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain, diarrhea, and anorexia) and patients with liver injury (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (> 45 U/L for men and > 34 U/L for women) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (> 35 U/L for men and > 31 U/L for women) at admission), then compared their clinical features with those who did not show gastrointestinal symptoms and liver injury. Results: A total of 232 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included. Gastrointestinal symptoms were found in 16.4% of patients. The symptoms were diarrhea (3.01%), anorexia (1.72%), nausea or vomiting (12.06%), and abdominal pain or discomfort (1.72%). The patients with gastrointestinal symptoms were more likely than those without to be admitted to the intensive ward (13.15% vs. 2.5%; p= 0.012). The elevation of liver aminotransferase levels on admission was found in 40.9% of patients. Longer hospitalization (15 days vs 11 days; p= 0.007) more likely to have liver injury. Conclusion: Patients with liver injury had a longer hospital stay than patients without liver injury, while gastrointestinal symptoms have no significance on the duration of hospitalization.

Covid-19 pandemic and mental health in italy: a multicenter, longitudinal national project

Abstract Background The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has been widely documented. In Italy, however, no robust evidence has yet been produced. The objective of this abstract is to describe the profile of the Covid-19 and Mental Health (CoMeH) study cohort and preliminary describe the impact of the pandemic on population mental health. Methods Multicenter project promoted and coordinated by National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), involving an open cohort study of incident subjects with mental health disorders, enrolled from 01/01/2018 to 30/06/2022, in 3 centers (ATS Bergamo, Tuscany Region, ASL Roma 2). Subjects aged ≥14 years, residing at least in the previous 2 years, with at least 3 outpatient mental health services, 1 admission to a residential mental health service, 1 hospitalization or emergency room access with psychiatric diagnosis, prescription of at least 2 drugs for mental disorders and exemption for psychiatric disease were included. We estimated the immediate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as pre- and post-Covid-19 trend by fitting a Poisson segmented regression model in the context of the interrupted time series analysis. Results As of January 2023, the cohort consisted of 242,442 cases (13% in ATS Bergamo, 73% in Tuscany Region and 14% in ASL Roma 2), and mainly had access to prescription drugs (45%, 60%, 62% respectively). Regression model preliminary conducted on ATS Bergamo and ASL Roma 2 showed a decrease in the number of incident cases in the first month of Covid-19 (IRR: 0.793; 95%CI: 0.733-0.857 compared to counterfactual). In the post-Covid-9 period an increasing monthly trend was observed (IRR: 1.013; 95%CI: 1.008-1.019). Findings were similar between women and men. Conclusions Our findings suggest evidence of a negative effect of the pandemic on mental health, with an increasing trend in the post-Covid-19 period. Future analysis will be focalized in evaluating socioeconomic inequalities. Key messages • The study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Italy. • A large longitudinal open cohort will be used to investigate the role of socioeconomic and migrant status.

The impact of COVID-19 on hepatitis B and C virus prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in Bangladesh compared with Japan and the global perspective

AimThis study aimed to assess the effect of COVID-19 on hepatitis-related services in Bangladesh and compared the situation with same study conducted in Japan and globally.MethodsWe conducted an online cross-sectional questionnaire survey among the clinicians of four societies associated with liver disease in Bangladesh from October to December 2022. The questionnaire included the same questions as a survey conducted in Japan and globally.ResultsA total of 83 clinicians from 8 divisions in Bangladesh participated; 66.3% were heads of departments/institutions. Except for HCV treatment initiation, more than 30% of clinicians reported a 76–99% decline in all services. Compared to Japan and the global survey, there was a significantly higher decline in all HBV and HCV services in Bangladesh. To resume services back to pre-COVID-19 levels, Patient anxiety and fear (Bangladesh Survey: 80.7% vs Japan Survey: 67.4% vs Global Survey: 37.9%, p < 0.0001), loss of space due to COVID-19 (Bangladesh Survey: 63.9% vs Japan Survey: 34.7% vs Global Survey: 19.4%, p < 0.0001) were the main challenges. As part of the mitigation strategy, usage of telemedicine (Bangladesh Survey: 83.1% vs. Japan Survey: 67.3% vs Global Survey: 78.6% p < 0.0001), COVID-19 benefits, such as increased laboratory testing platforms (Bangladesh Survey: 77.1% vs Japan Survey: 17.9% vs Global Survey: 41.8%, p < 0.0001) was reported significantly higher in Bangladesh than in Japan and global survey.ConclusionAll the services-related to HBV and HCV were highly affected during greatest impact month of COVID-19 in Bangladesh and the decline level was higher than Japan and global survey. Repeated countermeasures of COVID-19 and constrained healthcare-system were the probable reasons in Bangladesh. Positive impact resulting from COVID-19 countermeasures should be utilized in the national hepatitis program in Bangladesh.

The compounding effects of income loss and change in living arrangement on emerging adult women’s mental health during COVID’s onset

ABSTRACT Research suggests that young adult women were among those more susceptible to mental health declines in the initial months of COVID-19. Unfortunately, longitudinal data examining mental health before and after the pandemic’s onset are extremely limited. In a sample of 240 women ages 18–29 who were surveyed online first in November-December 2019 and then again between May and July 2020, this study aimed to examine how major life changes associated with the pandemic (i.e. loss of income, loss of employment, change in relationship status, and change in living arrangement) impacted mental health (i.e. depression, anxiety, stress). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted on three models predicting stress, anxiety, and depression from the four life changes, controlling for the effects of mental health before the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that a change in living arrangement was uniformly associated with increased mental health problems among women who also experienced a decrease in income. Likewise, loss of income was uniformly related to increased mental health problems among women who also experienced a change in living arrangement. In contrast, job loss was associated with a decrease in stress, and changes in relationship status were not associated with mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the potential for COVID-19 to produce co-occurring and synergistic stressors. Meanwhile, the impact of job loss on mental health may have been attenuated by enhanced unemployment benefits. Mental health interventions that aim to support young women as the pandemic abates should be tailored to address the impact of multiple psychosocial stressors.

Alcohol Use and Mental Health Symptoms in Nurses during the Early Months of COVID-19

Objective The current study examined associations of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and generalized anxiety disorder [GAD] with alcohol consumption and drinking to cope in a sample of 310 nurses during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Using a cross-sectional design, nurses completed online surveys. Results Over 50% of the sample reported alcohol misuse and 12.2% reported drinking to cope. Further, 38.7% reported elevated symptoms of PTSD, 29.7% moderate-to-high symptoms of depression, and 56.8% elevated symptoms of GAD symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine how mental health symptoms were associated with alcohol outcomes, controlling for age, gender pronouns, education, and race. No significant predictors emerged for alcohol consumption. Significant associations of symptoms of PTSD and depression were found for drinking to cope, such that higher levels of mental health symptoms were associated with greater endorsement of drinking to cope. Conclusion Results are discussed in light of increasing prevention and support services for nurses.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on Operative Traumatic Brain Injury in Northern Virginia.

COVID-19 is a disease that causes flu-like symptoms and difficulty breathing. Emerging in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world through restrictions and lockdowns. Multiple studies have compared the effects of COVID-19 on different types of head trauma, with each one producing different results. The goal of this study was to use state and hospital data to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on surgeries for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Public state data on COVID-19 incidence, sourced from the Virginia Department of Health, was compared to hospital data of 352 patients receiving surgeries for TBI from a single major level-one trauma hospital in Northern Virginia. We used data from the three years before COVID-19 and the two years during the pandemic, using t-tests and Pearson correlation to analyze the data. This is a retrospective case review study on the number and age of patients receiving TBI surgery from March 2017 through February 2022 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Northern Virginia to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these factors. When comparing the data, there was a 60% reduction in cases of operative TBI during the peak months of COVID-19 compared to the same months in previous years (p<0.005). Comparing data on the number of Virginia and Northern Virginia COVID-19 cases and data on the age of individuals undergoing TBI surgery four weeks later showed a statistically significant negative correlation (p<0.05) in which the average age of individuals undergoing TBI surgery was lower in the four-week block following a four-week block of increased COVID-19 incidence. Our findings indicate a correlation between the period of decreased activity from COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia and a decline in both the number of TBI surgeries and the age of individuals undergoing these surgeries.