Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Maxillofacial Trauma - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction
The Government of Nepal responded to Covid-19 pandemic by encouraging individuals to adopt “social distancing”, imposing travel restrictions and ultimately lockdown as a measure to slow the spread of the virus. These measures lead to dramatic disruption in public and personal life and have created fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Thus, in this new scenario of travel restriction and increased psychological stress we have hypothesized that there will be more cases of self-harm and less cases of road traffic accidents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID- 19 on maxillofacial trauma in the mid and far western region of Nepal.

Methods
A cross-sectional study using secondary data was conducted in Nepalgunj Medical College, Kohalpur. Patients with maxillofacial injury during COVID-19 containment measures were compared to the same period in 2019 (non-COVID). Categorical data were presented as number (percentage) and analyzed using Chi square test and Cramer’s V test as appropriate.

Results
The total number of patients during COVID period was 70 and the non - COVID period was 129. There was no statistically significant difference of age and sex between maxillofacial trauma patients during non-COVID and COVID period. There was a statistically significant difference between mechanism of injury and month during COVID period (p=0.013). All forms of mechanism of injury were increased in July compared to other months.

Conclusion
Stay at home order during the COVID period has led to a dramatic reduction in trauma volume but change in trauma etiology was not obvious.