Increase of early syphilis cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Increase of early syphilis cases during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech RepublicThe COVID-19 pandemic reached the Czech Republic in March 2020, leading to three national lockdowns over the following 12 months. We analysed monthly diagnoses of gonorrhoea and syphilis in a large tertiary care centre in Prague during March 2020-February 2021 relative to the monthly average of the previous 4 years (March 2016-February 2020) (figure 1). After an initial slight decrease, there was an increase in confirmed cases of early syphilis in the second half of 2020. These results differ from those described in some other European countries. 1 The increase in early syphilis cases may reflect non-compliance with social distancing restrictions, as suggested by the marked increase in COVID-19 cases reported in the Czech Republic in the same period. 2

The impact of COVID‐19 on HIV testing in the UK’s first Fast‐Track HIV city

“…Similarly, services providing care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have also been negatively impacted. [9][10][11][12][13][14] There is literature suggesting a lower incidence of gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis in cities around the world during 2020, with some reporting an 81% decrease [9][10][11]. This could be attributed to a decreased availability of testing leading to 'missed diagnoses' [12] or a decrease in transmission due to social distancing rules [13].…”

“…Similarly, services providing care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have also been negatively impacted. [9–14]…”

“…This could be attributed to a decreased availability of testing leading to ‘missed diagnoses’ [12] or a decrease in transmission due to social distancing rules [13]. By contrast, other published work demonstrates a higher incidence of STIs in 2020, highlighting the importance of understanding local context and epidemiology [14,15].…”

Concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 and primary syphilis in a young man: A rare case report

“…The COVID-19 crisis appears to have affected people's sexual behavior. Previous studies have focused on the change in the number of newly diagnosed syphilis cases during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 6 , 7 ]. In Madrid, the number of newly diagnosed syphilis cases during the first 26 weeks of the year was 425 in 2019, and it decreased by 73.2%–114 in 2020 [ 6 ].…”

“…In Madrid, the number of newly diagnosed syphilis cases during the first 26 weeks of the year was 425 in 2019, and it decreased by 73.2%–114 in 2020 [ 6 ]. In the Czech Republic, the number of confirmed cases of early syphilis decreased during the first 3 months of the national lockdown due to COVID-19, and it subsequently increased [ 7 ]. The decrease in the number of newly diagnosed syphilis cases in Hiroshima City in 2020 may have been due to mandatory and voluntary social distancing measures in general, taken to prevent the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and death from COVID-19.…”