The impact of the South African Covid-19 lockdown on incidence and severity of traumatic brain injury at Tshepong hospital: A multivariate retrospective cohort study.

Jesse K G Bulabula, Akin B Ogunrombi, Mxolisi B Molefe, Victor Magumbeze, Kevin Y G Kumasamba

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Article in Heliyon, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

COVID-19 impact on blood donation and blood product use in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2025
Article

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Jesse K G BulabulaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Akin B OgunrombiDepartment of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Mxolisi B MolefeDepartment of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Victor MagumbezeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Kevin Y G KumasambaDepartment of Business Science, Faculty of Commerce, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Globally traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the leading cause of death in people under the age of 45. 2020 saw a series of social lockdowns as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to unveil the impact of the different levels of lockdown on TBI incidence at Tshepong Hospital. Method: A retrospective review of patients with TBIs during the first 30 days of each of the 5 lockdown levels, between 1st of April -20th October 2020 was conducted. Each lockdown level was compared to a control of a similar period in 2019. Results: Level 5 lockdown resulted in a 66% reduction in total incidence of TBI, with a decrease in the daily incidence median value to 0 when compared to its control group median of 1 ( Conclusion: The cumulative effect of the lockdowns made miniscule changes in the overall TBI incidence but led to significant variation in TBI incidence in the comparative months. A "rebound trauma" phenomena is observed in transitioning from severe social restrictions to milder ones with unemployment and unbanning of alcohol as possible contributary factors. Further studies are needed to investigate these complex interactions.

Indexed as

Covid-19 lockdownSocial behaviourSocial restrictionsTraumatic brain injury

Identifiers

PMID37292296

DOI10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16906

PMCPMC10239285

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