Letter:
We appreciate the letter by Dr. Goyal and his colleagues, and we commend them on presenting their experience on this topic.
The results presented by Goyal et al. add additional evidence about the effects of the pandemic on the incidence of conditions that can be affected by the dynamics of the social interactions in the community.
The difference in the frequency of cases between the “lockdown” and the “unlock” period demonstrates the effect of the restriction in mobilization on the incidence of neurotrauma, especially if neurotrauma is related to motor vehicle accidents.
We congratulate Dr. Goyal's effort to show the incidence of neurotrauma in a comprehensive manner, comparing incidence rates between pre-COVID and COVID periods, as well as during the lockdown period and after. The results showed the variations in neurotrauma incidence in a large population. A decline in the frequency of neurosurgical conditions was observed, as it has also been reported in other parts of the world affected by COVID-19.1, 2, 3, 4 The same observation has also been reported in neurotrauma with a decline in the incidence during the lockdown.3 , 5 , 6 Of note, it is important to mention that patients with potentially critical conditions did not seek medical attention due to the reasonable fear of contracting the infection by visiting the hospital.4 , 7 , 8 This particular effect possibly led to the worse clinical outcomes due to a delay of the definite treatment.
The ongoing worldwide pandemic gives us a unique opportunity to analyze the effects of social distancing on other conditions. Now even shaking the hand has become a rare and sometimes is regarded as a risky behavior due to the fear of contracting the disease. The world has definitely changed since the start of pandemic, and only time will tell how our social interactions will be permanently modified.
In regard to neurotrauma, long-term follow-up is advised to provide a broader perspective on the incidence of this condition during a pandemic, especially in those places where second waves are currently observed.
Footnotes
Conflict of interest statement: Bederson: Contractual relationship and has received financial compensation from Brainlab, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., and Surgical Theater. Equity holder of Surgical Theater; Ghatan: Consultant to Neuropace and Monteris for education. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
References
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