Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pleural infections: A multicentre retrospective analysis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the incidence of respiratory tract infections, however there is no published data of its impact on pleural infection. Aim: To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on pleural infection. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 148 patients diagnosed with a pleural infection from five pleural specialist centres in the UK between Aug 2019 - Jan 2020 (pre-COVID) and Aug 2020 - Jan 2021 (during COVID). These centres were recruiting to a pleural infection RCT (MIST-3) and had accurate patient screening logs. Results: The table below summarises the results. Conclusion: There was a 42.5% decrease in pleural infection presenting to hospitals in the COVID-19 period. The clinical characteristics appear similar in pre- and post-COVID-19 populations, suggesting that overall incidence of pleural infection is lower. We speculate that potential causes for lower rates (but similar characteristics) of pleural infection may be reduced community and nosocomial transmission of viruses due to social distancing and use of personal protective equipment in healthcare settings.