The effects of national lockdown on incidence of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Conclusions: Admissions during lockdowns fell markedly. Possible causes include lack of interpersonal contact, that may have contributed to reduced community bacterial and viral transmission. Patient anxiety and difficulty accessing primary care may have deterred admission, with raised length of stay, and lower ambulatory proportion supporting a clinically more severe cohort.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Epidemiology Source Type: research