Was severe SARS-CoV-2 substantially spreading in Northern Italy before its first detection in February 2020? An evaluation of pneumonia-associated hospitalization trends from September 2014 to February 2020.

ABSTRACT: Retrospective studies identified SARS-CoV-2 worldwide circulation as early as late 2019. In Italy, the first autochthonous COVID-19 case was diagnosed in a Northern Region on 20 February 2020, raising the question whether high numbers of COVID-19 pneumonia cases were previously undetected. We explored whether unusual increases in hospitalizations for pneumonia occurred from October 2019 to February 2020 in Italy, particularly in Northern Regions. We analysed the Italian National Hospital Discharge Records with pneumonia ICD-9-CM codes from 2014 to 2020. Trend analysis and generalized linear models with negative binomial distribution were applied to compare observed pneumonia trends in the study period with previous years. Analyses were stratified by major regions (NUTS1) and provinces. Dur

SUBMITTER: Di Maggio E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12529277 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature