Post-Covid social distancing measures might have helped reduce the number of severe acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (s-AECOPD) cases in Denmark. A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup in Denmark, found a 45 percent reduction COPD exacerbation cases and hospitalisations reported after the social distancing measures came into effect at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The researchers said that they compared the rates of s-AECOPD in a nationwide, observational, semi-experimental cohort study from an all Danish inhabitants data between calendar week 1 through 25 in 2019 and 2020. This analysis found that there were only 6,212 cases of s-AECOPD in 2020 as compared to 11,260 cases in 2019.  The researchers also found that COPD hospitalisations and all cause-mortality were also reduced significantly in the social distancing period. 

The study revealed that a total of 3.0 million inhabitants aged 40 plus years, corresponding to 3.0 million person-years, were followed for s-AECOPD. In the social distancing period in 2020, there were 6,212 incidents of s-AECOPD compared to 11,260 incidents of s-AECOPD in 2019, resulting in a 45 percent relative risk reduction. In the COPD cohort (N=16,675), the scientists observed a lower risk of s-AECOPD with the social distancing period (subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) 0.34, 95%-confidence interval (CI) : 0.33, 0.36, absolute risk: 25.4% in 2020 and 42.8% in 2019). The risk of admissions to intensive care units was reduced (sHR 0.64, CI: 0.47, 0.87) as was all-cause mortality (normal HR 0.83, CI: 0.76, 0.90). Overall, the social distancing period was associated with a significant risk reduction for hospital admittance with s-AECOPD, the study found.