Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and refugee influx on scabies presentations to dermatology outpatient clinics in Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: The frequency of scabies and its relationship with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a current scientific curiosity in Turkey and worldwide. The data presented in this article will help raise awareness of dermatologists in situations such as pandemic-induced quarantines where scabies can spread rapidly.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study to compare patients who presented with scabies and were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those who presented before and after the pandemic, in terms of the diagnosis ratios. In addition, the recurrence rates were compared in terms of age, nationality, and the environment in which they lived.

Results: The frequency of scabies was statistically significantly higher in the post-COVID period in all quarters of the year, with a higher rate of patients in the first and last quarters, which is typical of scabies patients. However, a significant difference in recurrence rates was not detected.

Conclusions: Several factors might be responsible for the increased frequency of scabies during the lockdown periods in Turkey. First, entire families, including relatives, had to live together in a crowded space. Second, there was a relative increase in doctor visits, in spite of the stay-at-home policy, owing to the overwhelming itchiness of scabies.