Saniya Sharma, MD, DM
Assistant Professor
PGIMER, Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
Background: Global studies have highlighted a decline in Kawasaki disease (KD) incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a potential influence of pandemic-related factors. This study aims to assess KD incidence in Chandigarh, North India, during the period from January 2020 – December 2023.
Methodology: Children diagnosed with KD in the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh between January 2020 - December 2023 were included. Annual incidence rates were calculated using decadal growth rates based on National Census Data, 2011. Incidence was computed for children aged £5, and £15 years.
Results: During this period, out of our cohort of patients with KD, 22 cases (17 boys and 5 girls) were residents of UT Chandigarh. Annual incidence rates of KD in UT Chandigarh during these 4 years were 2.65, 2.61, 6.1, and 6/100,000 in children £5, and 0.7, 1.24, 1.74, and 1.65/100,000 in children £15 years. A significant reduction in incidence was observed compared to the pre-pandemic period (9.72/100,000 children below 5 in 2019). The median age at diagnosis was 36 months (range: 4 months - 108 months). Cases peaked in March (n=8), followed by May (n=3), with no reported cases in July. Coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) were noted during the acute phase in 4/22 (18.2%) patients.
Conclusions: This study reveals a dramatic reduction in the number and incidence of KD during the COVID-19 pandemic at UT Chandigarh, India, echoing trends observed globally. The observed decline in KD incidence is likely attributable to multifactorial reasons, including the widespread adoption of public health measures such as social distancing and masking. These measures, implemented in response to the pandemic, may have contributed to the overall decrease in infectious agents, supporting the hypothesis of infection-triggered pathogenesis in KD.