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Updated: Oct 22, 2025
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Published on: February 23, 2014
The drop in reported invasive pneumococcal disease among adults during the first COVID-19 wave in the Netherlands
Kirsten K T Dirkx1, Bert Mulder2, Annelies S Post2
1Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Radboud Centre for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Objectives:
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading bacterial pathogen causing respiratory infections. Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, less invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) was identified by surveillance systems worldwide. Measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 also reduce transmission of pneumococci, but this would gradually lead to lower disease rates.
Design:
Here, we explore additional factors contributing to the instant drop in pneumococcal disease cases captured in surveillance.
Results:
Our observations on referral practices and other impediments to diagnostic testing indicate that residual IPD has likely occurred but remained undetected by conventional hospital-based surveillance.
Conclusions:
Depending on the setting, we discuss alternative monitoring strategies that could improve understanding of pneumococcal disease dynamics.
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