Abstract:

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected healthcare in all respects. In this study, the aim is to identify the impact of pandemic on access to health services in the direct diagnosis laboratory of parasitology. Methods: The output of the results of the parasitological examination was obtained backward from the laboratory information system. A year of the pandemic, the data of the periods of complete closure and gradual normalization and their time equivalents were compared backward. The findings: 2,233 of 529 of the parasites were detected during the pandemic. In the full closure period, 178 of them were identified in 58 and 2,055 of them were detected in 471 in the gradual normalization period. Cryptosporidium spp. The incidence increased during pandemic and full closure periods. Blastocystis spp. Incidents decreased during pandemic and gradual normalization periods. Giardia intestinalis incidences decreased during pandemic and gradual normalization periods. In periods of pandemic and gradual normalization, the incidence of Entamoeba histolytica/dispar increased. In periods of pandemic and gradual normalization, Cyclospora spp. The incident increased. In the periods of pandemic and gradual normalization, the incidence of Enterobius vermicularis decreased and the phenomenon was not observed in the period of complete closure. The frequency of parasites gives the impression that COVID-19 does not cause weakness in the fight against intestinal parasitic diseases, but the same frequency of parasites infections may occur in people who do not get to the laboratory in society. It is estimated that the effects of this weakness may lead to an increase in the frequency of parasites in the post-pandemic period.

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