Impact of Pandemic in the Frequency of Scabies: Possible Scabies Outbreak Scenario Aftermath COVID-19

Abstract

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the post-pandemic changes in the frequency of scabies and determined the clues that may indicate a possible outbreak of scabies in the future.Methods:All patients diagnosed with scabies in the University of Health Sciences Turkey, Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital and Palandöken State Hospital between January 2019 and September 2020 were evaluated.Results:The frequency of scabies of 1.87% was remarkable in the first quarter of 2020, which corresponds to the pre-pandemic, and >50% (n=442) of all patients with scabies in 2019 (n=769) were encountered only in the first 3 months. The frequency of scabies seen in the first 3 quarters of 2020 was significantly higher than in 2019 (p<0.001). Significant decreases were found in the 0-14 years age groups (infant, preschool and school period) compared to 2019 (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.015, respectively). No significant increase or decrease was determined in the frequency of scabies in 2020 (p=0.205). In addition, an increase in the number and rates of scabies patients are observed after the first month of normalisation period followed by the increase in the number of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) daily cases.Conclusion:Applications for scabies to polyclinics after the pandemic were determined to be too low compared to previous periods, especially in school-age children, and showed an increasing trend over time. Patients with scabies that reach treatment late or not due to the pandemic may cause outbreak aftermath COVID-19.

Keywords

• epidemiology
• scabies
• covid-19
• pandemic
• outbreak