Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on compulsory notification of meningitis during the first wave of the pandemic in Brazil: an ecological study using P-score

• Published in: São Paulo medical journal 2022-03, Vol.140 (2), p.305-309
• Main Authors: Rocha, Carlos Alberto de Oliveira, Santana, Gibson Barros de Almeida, Leal, Thiago Cavalcanti, Paiva, João Paulo Silva de, Silva, Leonardo Feitosa da, Santos, Lucas Gomes, Nunes, Bruno Eduardo Basto Rolim, Carmo, Rodrigo Feliciano do, Souza, Carlos Dornels Freire de
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Short Communication
• ISSN: 1516-3180; 1806-9460; 1806-9460
• DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2021.0732.15092021

Meningitis is listed as one of the diseases requiring compulsory notification in Brazil. It can affect all age groups and also has no seasonality. Cases can be recorded in all months of the year and in all states of Brazil. Despite its importance, the obligation of immediate notification may have been compromised by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To analyze the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on compulsory notifications of meningitis in Brazil and its states during the first wave of the pandemic. This was an ecological study involving all confirmed cases of meningitis in Brazil, in its regions and in its states. Data for the months from 2015 to 2020 were obtained from the database of the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, SINAN), in the Department of Informatics of the National Health System (Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde, DATASUS). The P-score was used to obtain the percentage change in the numbers of cases reported in 2020. A 45.7% reduction in notifications of meningitis in Brazil was observed. Regarding the regions and the states, with the exception of Roraima, all of them showed a negative P-score, with decreasing curves each month. The pandemic caused a negative impact on meningitis notifications in Brazil.