ABSTRACT
The second wave of SARS-CoV2 in our health region began at the end of June 2020 coinciding with the widespread decrease in cases in all areas of Catalonia. This resulted in the relaxation of measures that coincided with the end of the school year and the arrival of seasonal workers for the fruit-picking campaign. This led to a rapid increase in cases that culminated in perimeter confinement of the Segrià in July 2020, the only such measure imposed in the whole of Spain that month. This increase in cases was attributed to the influx of agricultural workers with a change of trend in the age of persons affected that had until then consisted mainly of older people. Simultaneously, in other areas of Catalonia the number of cases had dropped dramatically.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , RNA, Viral , Spain/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Introduction and aim Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) cases have increased in the last decade. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of CT genital infection in asymptomatic, sexually active young people and determine whether a community screening program would be effective in reducing the number of cases. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional studyof consecutive inclusion of asymptomatic people aged 18-25 years between September 2021 and May 2022. Community interventions in high schools, universities, and cultural events were planned to realize the screening. Sociodemographic variables of gender, age, country of origin, and educational level, as well as sexual habits, were recorded for each patient. CT was detected via urine samples. An estimate of the prevalence of CT genital infection and its 95% confidence interval (CI) was made based on the exact binomial distribution, assuming that the sample is representative of the study population. Results A total of 628 subjects participated in the study, of whom 33 had a CT infection, giving a prevalence of 5.2% (95% CI: 3.6%, 7.3%). 93.9% of subjects with CT infection were female (p≤0.019) and 85% of the participants were Spanish nationals. Among vocational training students, the prevalence was 8.1%. Having had four or more sexual partners in the last month and in the previous year was significantly associated with CT infection (p<0.001). Conclusion Screening for CT genital infection in young sexually active women should be implemented in our country, as recommended by the various guidelines.
ABSTRACT
Background The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) has increased in recent years, especially in the young population. Urethritis is one of the most common clinical presentations of STD in emergency departments. During the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, in Spain lockdown lasted almost three months, and mobility was greatly restricted. This is the first study of these characteristics conducted in Spain. Methods A cross-sectional study of all patients treated for clinical symptoms of urethritis between March and June 2019 and between March and June 2020 was conducted. We evaluated patients' sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results Seventy-nine patients were included in the study: 37 in 2019 and 38 in 2020 of whom 94.9% were men. The main symptoms were urethral discharge (59.5%) followed by dysuria (26.6%). Risky sexual relations were reported by 63.2% of patients in 2019, and this percentage decreased to 43.9% in 2020. Conclusions The number of patients attending an emergency department in our health region for urethritis did not undergo any variations between 2019 and 2020. No significant reduction in the number of cases of urethritis was observed, probably because people continued with unsafe sexual relations despite the social restrictions and difficulties posed by the lockdown.
