The silent epidemic of lymphogranuloma venereum inside the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid, Spain, March 2020 to February 2021
Laura Martínez-García, Mario Rodríguez-Domínguez, Clara Lejarraga, María Concepción Rodríguez-Jiménez, José María González‐Alba, Teresa Puerta, Matilde Sánchez‐Conde, José Manuel Hermida, Beatriz Romero‐Hernández, Juan Carlos Galán
Abstract
Despite social distancing measures implemented in Madrid to prevent the propagation of SARS-CoV-2, a significant increase (57.1%; 28.5 to 38.5 cases/month) in cases of lymphogranuloma venereum was detected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This unusual scenario might have accelerated a shift in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) epidemiology towards a higher proportion of L genotypes compared with non-L genotypes in CT-positive samples. Our data underscore the importance of surveillance of sexually transmitted infections during the pandemic, in particular among vulnerable populations.