COVID-19 preventive measures coincided with a marked decline in other infectious diseases in Denmark, spring 2020.

We aimed to descriptively analyse the possible impact of the national COVID-19 interventions on the incidence of common infectious diseases in Denmark during spring and summer 2020. This observational study focused on national register data on infections caused by 16 different bacterial and viral pathogens. We included new cases registered between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020. The weekly number of new cases were analysed with respect to the COVID-19-related interventions introduced during 2020. We found a marked decrease in infections associated with droplet transmission coinciding with the COVID-19 interventions in spring and summer 2020. These included decreases in both viral and bacterial airway infections and also decreases in invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis. There was also a reduction in cases associated with foodborne transmission during the COVID-19 lockdown period. We found no effect of the lockdown on infections by invasive beta-haemolytic streptococci group B, C and G, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Clostridioides difficile. In conclusion, we found that the widespread interventions such as physical distancing, less travel, hygiene measures and lockdown of schools, restaurants and workplaces together coincided with a marked decline in respiratory infections and, to a smaller extent, some foodborne-transmitted infections.

Fatal SARS-CoV-2-Associated Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-producing Staphylococcal Bacteremia: A Nationwide Multicenter Cohort Study.

We reviewed all cases of Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-SA) bacteremia in Danish children between 2016 and 2021. We found 2 fatal cases with preceding viral prodrome due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Given the usual benign course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, awareness of possible superinfection with PVL-SA in a child with rapid deterioration is crucial to ensure adequate treatment, including antimicrobial drugs with antitoxin effect.