Epidemiology of burn injuries in a Canadian population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic affected burn injury patterns in many countries, but literature on this topic in Canada is limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the changes in the epidemiology of burn injuries in a Canadian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information were used to evaluate differences in emergency department visits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression models estimated the odds of a severe burn occurrence. Results: During the pandemic, there were significant decreases in emergency department visits for burns. Distributions of factors associated with burns showed little to no change. The pandemic period, age, sex, income, month and time of day were significantly associated with severe burns during the study time period. Conclusions: The study found large reductions in the number of emergency department visits during the pandemic, but no evidence of changes in the epidemiology of burns or patterns in the patient populations. Demographic factors associated with severe burns were identified. These factors should be studied to deepen the understanding of the relationship between burn injuries and patient populations.