ABSTRACT
Background/Introduction: Previous reports from the first COVID wave have documented a 15-40% reduction in admissions of AMI most likely as the result of the stringent public containment measures taken to mitigate the spread of the virus Purpose: To assess the impact of COVID-19 related public containment measures during recurrent COVID-19 waves on hospital admission rate for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Method(s): Clinical characteristics, reperfusion therapy modalities, COVID-19 status and in hospital mortality of consecutive AMI patients who were admitted in a regional AMI network were recorded during 1 year starting in March 2020 and were compared with the year before. The COVID-19 study period encompassed two waves: the first in March-May 2020 and the second in October-December 2020. Result(s): A total of 1349 AMI patients were hospitalized of which 725 during the pre-COVID period and 624 during the COVID period (incidence rate ratio of 1.16, p=0,006). The impact was predominantly present in the first wave (32% reduction: n=204 vs 152) and evanished during the second wave (3% increase (152 vs 156) (see Figure 1). A similar pattern was observed for ACS with cardiac arrest with a 92% reduction (n=36 vs 3) during the first wave and no change during the second wave (18 vs 18). After correction for temperature and air quality, COVID-19 epidemic remained associated with a decrease of AMI hospitalization (p=0.046) Reperfusion strategy for AMI patients, were comparable between both study periods. The in hospital mortality between the two periods was comparable (2.6 % versus 1.9 %), but COVID-19 positive ACS patients (n=7) had a high mortality rate (14%). Conclusion(s): COVID-19 related public containment measures resulted during the first wave in a 32% reduction of AMI hospitalization, but this impact was not visible anymore during the second wave.