What did the study reveal about COVID-19's impact on chronic disease diagnosis?

The study revealed that COVID-19 caused a significant decline in the diagnosis of chronic diseases, leaving millions undiagnosed or untreated for years.

Why is this study important?

This study is important as it highlights how the pandemic affected healthcare access and early disease detection, which could have serious implications for public health.

What are the implications of the study's findings?

The findings underscore the need to improve healthcare access and early disease detection to prevent long-term health issues.

Which diseases were most affected by the pandemic?

The most affected diseases included asthma, COPD, skin diseases, and osteoporosis, all showing significant declines in diagnoses.

Impact of COVID-19 on Chronic Disease Diagnosis and Early Treatment Opportunities

Q: What population was included in this study?

The study analyzed anonymous health data from approximately 30 million individuals in England.

The COVID-19 pandemic's effects extended beyond infections and fatalities, leaving a significant impact on public health characterized by a substantial decline in the diagnosis of chronic diseases, which resulted in millions going undiagnosed or untreated for years.

This was revealed in a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which analyzed anonymous health data from approximately 30 million individuals in England.

As the pandemic spread, healthcare systems redirected resources to manage emergency cases, leading to the cancellation of routine appointments. Visits to family doctors and non-COVID-19 hospitals decreased by about one-third during the initial months.

Additionally, specialized clinics were halted, and essential diagnostic tests were postponed, directly impacting long-term disease detection rates.

The study indicated that the decline was most pronounced in diseases reliant on routine testing or specialized evaluations:

• Asthma: Diagnoses fell by over 30% in the first year.

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Diagnoses dropped by more than 50% due to interruptions in respiratory testing and backlog of waiting lists.

• Skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis: These were severely impacted due to patients' reluctance to seek care and delays in referrals to specialists.

• Osteoporosis: Diagnoses decreased by approximately one-third, depriving thousands of preventive treatment that could have avoided severe fractures, with diagnosis rates only recovering after about three years.

Between March 2020 and November 2024, there were over 50 thousand fewer diagnoses than expected in England, representing a lost opportunity for early prevention and public health improvement.

Although diagnosis rates began to recover gradually following the initial disruption of the pandemic, diverse patterns emerged among cases:

1 _ Depression: Diagnoses fell by about 30% in the first year, then partially improved before declining again from 2022, despite an increase in disability claims related to mental disorders, suggesting a shift in access to treatment rather than a real improvement in mental health.

2 _ Chronic Kidney Disease: Diagnoses doubled since 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels due to updated medical guidelines for routine screening of vulnerable groups, such as diabetic and hypertensive patients, alongside the availability of new treatments making early detection more critical.

The study highlighted a positive aspect: the use of secure and rapid health data analysis, which allowed for the near-instant monitoring of pathological changes that previously took years to detect.

While the pandemic disrupted healthcare and created concerning gaps, it also accelerated the development of more advanced monitoring tools, providing health systems with better opportunities to address early crises and mitigate their hidden costs on community health.