The impact of the Beirut blast on the COVID-19 situation in Lebanon

Abstract

Aim On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion hit Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of the Beirut blast on the COVID-19 situation in the country. Subject and Methods Data on COVID-19 were retrieved from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (LMOPH), where all the COVID-19 positive cases were reported. The study was divided into two periods, considering the incubation period of the COVID-19 virus: (July 27–August 9, 2020) and (August 10–23, 2020). Information obtained included daily number of cases, tests, deaths, hospitalized patients, intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and mode of acquisition (local vs. expat). Daily positivity rates were reported per 100 tests. An independent sample t-test and a Joinpoint regression analysis were used to determine significance. A p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results A total of 201,010 tests were conducted during our studied period, with 8993 positive cases, constituting a total positivity rate of 4.5 per 100 tests. Case fatality rate over the studied period was 0.8%. The positivity rate of the period prior to August 10, 2020, was 2.7 per 100 tests, significantly less than that of the period following the explosion, which was 6.4 per 100 tests (p < 0.001). During our studied period, daily positivity rates were significantly increasing at a slope of 0.29 (p < 0.001). A significant increase in slope was noted on August 13, 2020 (p < 0.001). The number of hospitalized patients increased from 139 patients on July 27 to 266 on August 23, 2020, and that of ICU patients increased from 36 to 75. Conclusion The port of Beirut explosion resulted in a significant increase in the daily number of positive COVID-19 cases. The aftermath of the explosion, the damage to healthcare facilities, and the overcrowding due to emergency efforts were contributing factors to that increase.

The Beirut Port Blast: spectrum of injuries and clinical outcomes at a large tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon

“…Initial vital signs were normal on all patients. Median (Q1–Q3) Systolic Blood Pressure was 126 mmHg (117–136); median diastolic blood pressure was 73 mmHg (67–80); median heart rate was 85 beats per minute (73–97); median respiratory rate is 18 breaths/min [ 16 ], and median temperature is 37 C (36.7–37.1).…”

“…By body system classification, reported injuries were musculoskeletal (56); skin lacerations/foreign bodies (25); head (24) where patients had skull fractures, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain herniation, and epidural hematoma; Eye Ear Nose and Throat (EENT) (24) where injuries included tympanic membrane rupture, globe rupture, complex facial fractures, others; lung/chest wall injuries [ 16 ], Abdominal [ 9 ], cardiac [ 2 ], Obstetric [ 2 ], and spine [ 4 ] (Table 2 ).…”

“…The Blast took place in August 2020 during the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caring for patients during the blast compromised precaution practices that were implemented in most hospitals related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as removing COVID-19 screening and testing requirements and reduced personal protective equipment (PPE) standards during advanced airway management [ 16 ]. Two patients tested positive for covid19 using PCR screening.…”

“…Nationwide, the COVID-19 positivity rate on August 4, 2020, was 2.7 per 100 tests. One week following the Beirut blast, that positivity rate almost doubled to 5.2 per 100 tests and continued rising till it reached a peak of 10.5 per 100 tests on August 22, 2020, 18 days following the explosion [ 16 ]. This reflects both the unexpected nature of disasters and the risks that healthcare providers are faced with during the response to disasters.…”

4 août 2020 : explosion du port de Beyrouth, réponse de la Croix-Rouge libanaise et leçons apprises

“…L’urgence de la crise a mis à l’écart les protocoles de prévention de la COVID-19. Les arrivées en masse dans les hôpitaux ainsi que le manque d’équipements de protection individuelle (EPI) ont été associés à un pic de cas journaliers de COVID-19 une semaine après l’explosion [5] .…”