Gyeonggi-do Sees Sharp Decline in Infectious Diseases Like Chickenpox After COVID-19

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Gwanggyo New Office Building

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of infectious diseases such as chickenpox in the Gyeonggi region decreased by 56%.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 13th, the average annual number of reportable infectious disease cases (61 types) under full surveillance in the province was 42,450 during 2018-2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the COVID-19 outbreak, from 2020 to 2022, the average annual number of cases was 18,687, showing a decrease of 23,763 cases (56%) compared to before.

Among the infectious diseases with the highest number of cases, chickenpox, which mainly affects infants and young children, decreased dramatically from an average of 25,340 cases before COVID-19 to 6,473 cases after, a reduction of 18,867 cases (74%).

Mumps decreased from 5,032 to 2,495 cases, hepatitis A from 3,064 to 1,485 cases, and scarlet fever from 3,266 to 313 cases, showing a downward trend in the majority of infectious disease cases.

On the other hand, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), an antibiotic-resistant bacteria, increased from 2,139 to 4,838 cases; enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infections rose from 20 to 61 cases; and hepatitis B increased from 93 to 118 cases.

In the case of CRE, since it was designated as a fully monitored infectious disease in 2017, the number of cases has surged due to improved reporting awareness in medical institutions such as nursing hospitals and increased use of healthcare facilities.

Looking at the proportion of infectious disease patients by age group, before COVID-19, those aged 10 and under accounted for 60.6%, but with the decrease in diseases like chickenpox, this proportion dropped to 34.5% after COVID-19.

Conversely, the proportion of those aged 70 and above increased from 5.4% to 22.5%, which is attributed to the rise in CRE cases and others.

A provincial official explained, "The significant decrease in infectious disease incidence appears to be due to improved personal hygiene such as social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as the effects of online classes and reduced outings." They added, "These infectious disease statistics will be utilized for various purposes including public health projects, health policy, and academic research."