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The Multiple Waves of COVID-19 in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Temporal Trend Analysis
Gilaad G Kaplan1, Fox E Underwood1, Stephanie Coward1
1Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
COVID-19 reporting in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients mirrored global trends, declining initially, then increasing in late 2020, and decreasing again by mid-2021. These patterns highlight the dynamic nature of the pandemic within this patient group.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have emerged in distinct waves globally.
- Understanding temporal trends in COVID-19 reporting among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is crucial for public health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the temporal trends in COVID-19 case reporting among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- To compare these trends with global epidemiological patterns of COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the international Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SECURE-IBD) registry.
- Calculated average percent changes (APCs) in weekly reported COVID-19 cases in IBD patients across three distinct periods in 2020-2021.
- Analyzed trends across 73 countries, with specific regional breakdowns for North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Main Results:
- A total of 6404 COVID-19 cases were reported in IBD patients across 73 countries.
- Global COVID-19 reporting in IBD patients decreased by 4.2% weekly (March-September 2020), increased by 10.2% weekly (September-December 2020), and then declined by 6.3% weekly (December 2020-July 2021).
- Regional analysis showed increased reporting in North America and Europe during Fall 2020, followed by declines in these regions and stability in Latin America from late 2020 to mid-2021.
Conclusions:
- Temporal trends in COVID-19 reporting among IBD patients align with overall global epidemiological patterns of the pandemic.
- The findings underscore the importance of continued surveillance of infectious diseases in vulnerable patient populations like those with IBD.
Background:
Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have emerged in discrete waves. We explored temporal trends in the reporting of COVID-19 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.
Methods:
The Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SECURE-IBD) is an international registry of IBD patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The average percent changes (APCs) were calculated in weekly reported cases of COVID-19 during the periods of March 22 to September 12, September 13 to December 12, 2020, and December 13 to July 31, 2021.
Results:
Across 73 countries, 6404 cases of COVID-19 were reported in IBD patients. COVID-19 reporting decreased globally by 4.2% per week (95% CI, -5.3% to -3.0%) from March 22 to September 12, 2020, then climbed by 10.2% per week (95% CI, 8.1%-12.3%) from September 13 to December 12, 2020, and then declined by 6.3% per week (95% CI, -7.8% to -4.7%). In the fall of 2020, weekly reporting climbed in North America (APC, 11.3%; 95% CI, 8.8-13.8) and Europe (APC, 17.7%; 95% CI, 12.1%-23.5%), whereas reporting was stable in Asia (APC, -8.1%; 95% CI, -15.6-0.1). From December 13, 2020, to July 31, 2021, reporting of COVID-19 in those with IBD declined in North America (APC, -8.5%; 95% CI, -10.2 to -6.7) and Europe (APC, -5.4%; 95% CI, -7.2 to -3.6) and was stable in Latin America (APC, -1.5%; 95% CI, -3.5% to 0.6%).
Conclusions:
Temporal trends in reporting of COVID-19 in those with IBD are consistent with the epidemiological patterns COVID-19 globally.
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