The Impact of a Pandemic COVID-19 on the Incidence of Borreliosis in Poland

PURPOSE: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease, caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia, transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes genus in Poland. The purpose of this analysis was whether the COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on the number of reported Lyme disease cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data included in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the data from the “Reports on incidence of infectious diseases, infections and poisoning in Poland” presented by the Department of Epidemiology NIZP-PZH were analyzed. RESULTS: To the end of 2020, there were registered 12, 524 Lyme disease cases. In the same period, in 2018 and 2019 were registered, respectively, 20, 150 and 20, 614 Lyme disease cases. The overall number of Lyme disease cases in 2018 and 2019 was at a similar level. The monthly increase in the number of cases was also at a similar level. The year 2020 in January and February was characterized by the same increase in the number of cases as in previous years. The difference started to be noticeable in March and the lowered growth compared to the previous years has been maintained to this day. In December, about 8, 000 fewer cases of Lyme disease were registered than in previous years. CONCLUSION: The reduced number of cases of Lyme disease coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in Poland in March 2020. Every year, the incidence of Lyme disease in Poland is at a similar level with a similar monthly increase. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the number of cases recorded, which could have catastrophic consequences for people who did not receive treatment in the right time.