Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on the Incidence of Peritonsillar Abscess: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria, like many European countries, implemented lockdown measures to curb viral transmission. These public health interventions, including social distancing and improved hygiene, were anticipated to affect various infectious diseases. This study aimed to assess whether the incidence of peritonsillar abscess, a severe upper respiratory inflammatory disease, decreased during the lockdown period of 2020 compared to previous years.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed all patients diagnosed with peritonsillar abscess from 2010 to 2020 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Graz. Patients were grouped based on the onset of disease into two periods: the lockdown period (16 March-29 May) and the rest of the year = Period 2 (1 January-15 March and 30 May-31 December). The incidence during the lockdown period of 2020 was compared to the incidence in the same timeframe in the previous years from 2010 to 2019 using chi-squared tests and Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 1768 patients (female: 44%, male: 56%; mean age: 34.6 ± 18.4 years) diagnosed with peritonsillar abscess were treated between 2010 and 2020 at the Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Graz. The analysis revealed that the proportion of peritonsillar abscesses in Period 1 in 2020 (15/127, 12%) was significantly lower than the mean proportion in Period 1 from 2010 to 2019 (36/164, 22%) ( = 0.004). The incidence rate of peritonsillar abscess cases per year in Period 1 (16 March-29 May) was significantly higher in each previous year from 2010 to 2019 compared to 2020 ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that the COVID-19 lockdown measures contributed to a reduction in the incidence of peritonsillar abscess, highlighting the broader impact of public health interventions on infectious diseases. Further research is needed to explore the effects on other respiratory infections and diseases.