Statistical analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of acute intestinal infections in the republic of Mordovia

Aim – to carry out a statistical analysis of the incidence rate of acute intestinal infections for the period of 2017-2022 and draw a conclusion about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occurrence of diseases affecting mainly the gastrointestinal tract. Material and methods. The work used data obtained during Rospotrebnadzor’s monitoring of the epidemiological situation in the Republic of Mordovia in 2017-2022. For statistical analysis, the average values were selected and compared with each other, and confidence intervals were calculated. Results. The greatest difference in incidence was observed in the year of the outbreak of the pandemic. In 2020, compared with 2017, there was a 3.56-fold decrease in the incidence of acute intestinal infections among patients over the age of 18, including 5.85-fold decrease among children. Compared to 2018, the incidence among adults and children decreased by 3.3 and 1.7 times, respectively. No significant changes were identified in 2019. In 2022, due to the lack of strict anti-epidemic measures, there was a slight increase in the incidence, which increased by 1.64 times. Conclusions. The study revealed that restrictive measures due to the pandemic and people’s fear of going to medical institutions due to the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection contributed to a decrease in the frequency of acute intestinal infections.