Did the COVID-19 pandemic impact urticaria information-seeking behavior in China? A retrospective longitudinal study

• Published in: Frontiers in public health 2023-01, Vol.11, p.1098066-1098066
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qinzhun, Yu, Yi, He, Jialu, Yao, Xinmeng, He, Yinan, Wu, Jinghua, Xu, Chenjie, Ye, Chengyin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Baidu index; China - epidemiology; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 vaccination; COVID-19 Vaccines; Humans; Information Seeking Behavior; Longitudinal Studies; Pandemics; Public Health; Retrospective Studies; urticaria
• ISSN: 2296-2565; 2296-2565
• DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1098066

To investigate information-seeking behavior related to urticaria before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Search query data for terms related to urticaria were retrieved using Baidu Index database from October 23, 2017 to April 23, 2022, and daily COVID-19 vaccination doses data were obtained from the website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the 23 eligible urticaria search terms, four urticaria themes were generated as classification, symptom, etiology, and treatment of urticarial, respectively. Baidu Search Index (BSI) value for each term were extracted to analyze and compare the spatial and temporal distribution of online search behavior for urticaria before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to also explore the correlation between search query and daily COVID-19 vaccination doses. The classification of urticaria accounted for nearly half of the urticaria queries on the internet. Regular seasonal patterns of BSI were observed in urticaria-related online search, by attaining its highest level in spring and summer and lowest level in winter. The BSIs of all urticaria themes significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic than that before the pandemic (all