Rodríguez Islay, Hernández Yisel
National Reference Laboratory of Treponemes and Special Pathogens, Tropical Medicine Institute "Pedro Kourí", Havana, Cuba.
Group of Social Communication, Tropical Medicine Institute "Pedro Kourí", Havana, Cuba.
Public Health Pract (Oxf). 2021 Nov;2:100072. doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2020.100072. Epub 2020 Dec 17.
The implementation of social confinement measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has limited the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their transmission. This study aims to explore the epidemiological behaviour of two notifiable STDs during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba.
This is an exploratory study of the incidence rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba.
This study compares national weekly surveillance data on syphilis and gonorrhoea incidence rates in Cuba with the timeline of implemented social confinement measures.
Incidence rates for both STDs were declining before the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Cuba. Following the confirmation of COVID-19 in Cuba and the implementation of social confinement measures, the decreasing incidence rates of syphilis and gonorrhoea continued. When social measures were subsequently relaxed, there was an increase in the incidence of syphilis, but incidence levels of gonorrhoea remained at a plateau.
The results of this study suggest that the social measures introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 influenced the sexual risk behaviours of individuals and subsequently modified the incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea. It is necessary to continue epidemiological surveillance for longer periods of time and to explore it at the local, regional and national levels to better understand STDs in times of COVID-19.
实施社会隔离措施以减少2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）传播，这限制了性传播疾病（STDs）的临床和实验室诊断及其传播。本研究旨在探讨在古巴COVID-19大流行的前6个月中两种法定报告性传播疾病的流行病学行为。
这是一项对古巴COVID-19大流行期间梅毒和淋病发病率的探索性研究。
本研究将古巴梅毒和淋病发病率的国家每周监测数据与实施的社会隔离措施时间表进行比较。
在古巴确诊首例COVID-19之前，两种性传播疾病的发病率均在下降。在古巴确诊COVID-19并实施社会隔离措施后，梅毒和淋病的发病率持续下降。随后社会措施放松时，梅毒发病率有所上升，但淋病发病率仍保持在平稳水平。
本研究结果表明，为遏制COVID-19传播而采取的社会措施影响了个体的性风险行为，进而改变了梅毒和淋病的发病率。有必要在更长时间内继续进行流行病学监测，并在地方、区域和国家层面进行探索，以更好地了解COVID-19时期的性传播疾病。
