Increase of scabies infestations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several clinicians in Spain reported an increase in scabies diagnoses. We performed a time-series analysis with data from 2014 to 2022 to quantify this increase. We found an increasing trend during late 2020 and 2021, peaking in March 2022 with an almost 4.5-fold incidence than expected, especially in those aged between 16 and 30 years. Although scabies is more frequent in most socioeconomic deprived areas, the observed rise occurs in all the areas. We recommend increasing surveillance among other countries to detect unexpected increases in scabies outbreaks.