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TL;DR
It found significant reductions in admissions for AECOPD, pneumonia, and influenza during the pandemic, even when including COVID-19 admissions, but rates returned to pre-pandemic levels after restrictions were lifted.
International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease · 3 authors, 4 centres
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It found significant reductions in admissions for AECOPD, pneumonia, and influenza during the pandemic, even when including COVID-19 admissions, but rates returned to pre-pandemic levels after restrictions were lifted.
Using Poisson regression, the analysis found significant reductions in admission rates during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels: incidence rate ratios were 0.72 for AECOPD, 0.56 for pneumonia, 0.18 for influenza during winter, and 0.79 for total COPD admissions (including COVID-19). These reductions were seen across most pandemic waves but were less pronounced during the fourth wave. Notably, admission rates returned to pre-pandemic levels after general public health restrictions were withdrawn. The study is limited by its single-center design and inability to distinguish between COVID-19-triggered and non-COVID-19 AECOPD. The findings suggest that pandemic-era interventions reduced respiratory infections and related hospitalizations in COPD patients, but the effects were temporary.