The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sexually Transmitted Infections surveillance data: incidence drop or artefact?

Table 1 Epidemiological characteristics of the STI reported confirmed cases during the different study periods^a in Catalonia, August 1st 2017 to August 1st 2020

	Total		Pre-lockdown		Lockdown		De-escalation Phases		New Normality
Number of reported cases	N = 45,181		N = 41,802		N = 997		N = 1266		N = 1116
Days,n°reported cases/days	1096	41.2	954	43.8	45	22.2	54	23.4	40	27.9
	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
STI
Chlamydia	23,095	51.1	21,463	51.3	472	47.3	611	48.3	549	49.1
Gonorrhoea	14,406	31.9	13,340	31.9	329	33.0	398	31.4	339	30.3
LGV^b	815	1.8	723	1.7	28	2.8	29	2.3	35	3.1
Syphilis	6865	15.2	6276	15.0	168	16.9	228	18.0	193	17.3
Sex
Females	17,860	39.5	16,679	39.9	340	34.1	453	35.8	388	34.7
Males	27,321	60.5	25,123	60.1	657	65.9	813	64.2	728	65.2
Age (mean, SD^c)	31.7	11.1	31.7	11.1	31.9	10.6	32.5	11.9	32.3	11.4
Age group
< 20	5776	12.8	5384	12.9	113	11.3	154	12.2	125	11.2
20 to 29	17,334	38.4	16,052	38.4	376	37.7	477	37.7	429	38.4
30 to 39	12,076	26.7	11,180	26.7	282	28.3	321	25.4	293	26.3
40 to 49	6702	14.8	6177	14.8	155	15.5	198	15.6	172	15.4
50 to 59	2334	5.20	2124	5.1	56	5.6	83	6.6	71	6.4
≥ 60	959	2.1	885	2.1	15	1.5	33	2.6	26	2.3
Deprivation index
First quintile	11,221	24.8	10,288	24.6	286	28.70	344	27.20	303	27.2
Second quintile	8133	18.0	7436	17.8	214	21.50	240	19.00	243	21.8
Third quintile	5329	11.8	4915	11.8	135	13.50	155	12.20	124	11.1
Fourth quintile	6150	13.6	5717	13.7	106	10.60	193	15.20	134	12.0
Fifth quintile	8246	18.3	7618	18.2	185	18.60	236	18.60	207	18.5
Missing	6102	13.5	5828	13.9	71	7.10	98	7.70	105	9.4
Country of birth
Spain	13,861	30.7	13,316	31.9	136	13.6	207	16.4	202	18.1
Others	4913	10.9	4785	11.4	24	2.4	56	4.4	48	4.3
Missing	26,407	58.4	23,701	56.7	837	84.0	1003	79.2	866	77.6
Reinfeccion
No	39,619	87.7	36,893	88.3	838	84.1	1019	80.5	869	77.9
Yes	5562	12.3	4909	11.7	159	15.9	247	19.5	247	22.1
HIV status
Negative	42,809	94.8	39,628	94.8	937	94.0	1196	94.5	1048	93.9
Positive	2372	5.2	2174	5.2	60	6.0	70	5.5	68	6.1

^aPre-lockdown: from August 1st 2017 to March 12th 2020, lockdown: from March 13th 2020 to April 27^th2020, de-escalation phases: from April 28th 2020 to June 21st 2020, new normality: from June ^22nd 2020 to August 1st 2020;
^bLGV: Lymphogranuloma venereum;
^cSD: Standard deviation

ISSN: 1471-2458