EP053 - A POPULATION-BASED STUDY REVEALS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF INFLUENZA AND INVASIVE MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE AMONG GREEK CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (ID 636)
- Danai Ktena (Greece)
- Eleni Kourkouni (Greece)
- Flora Kontopidou (Greece)
- Kassiani Gkolfinopoulou (Greece)
- Kalliopi Papadima (Greece)
- Theano Georgakopoulou (Greece)
- Ioanna Magaziotou (Greece)
- Anastasia Andreopoulou (Greece)
- Georgina Tzanakaki (Greece)
- Theoklis Zaoutis (Greece)
- Vassiliki Papaevangelou (Greece)
Abstract
Backgrounds:
Aiming to the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments worldwide have implemented a series of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Many of them and especially school closures have impacted the circulation of multiple airborne pathogens among children and adolescents. This study investigates the incidence of influenza and Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) among children aged 0-14 years in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Data regarding the number of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases, influenza-related Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admissions and IMD cases among children 0-14 years old were obtained from the National Public Health Organization (NPHO). The incidence of the two diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020/2021) was compared to that of the six preceding seasons (2014 – 2019).
Results:
A notable decrease was observed in both influenza and IMD cases during the period 2020/2021 compared to the years 2014-2019. The average yearly rate of ILI cases and influenza-related PICU admissions in children 0-14 years old has reduced by 66.9% and 100% respectively, while the average yearly IMD rate has declined by 70%. Both weekly ILI and monthly IMD rates were statistically significantly decreased.
Conclusions/Learning Points:
The activity of influenza and IMD in the children and adolescents of Greece has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Reduced transmission is likely related to the public health measures that were implemented to control the pandemic. The value of these measures may have relevance to the future management of influenza or IMD epidemics.
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