Trend in Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) Pandemic: A Retrospective Analysis From a Sub‐Urban Area in Sub‐Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Background and Aims The COVID‐19 pandemic was a global public concern and constitutes a future threat to the world population due to its indirect effect on the burden of non‐communicable diseases. The pandemic manifested disruptions in healthcare delivery and access. However, there is limited data in Sub‐Saharan Africa on the impact of COVID‐19 on cardiovascular disease (CVD) admissions and outcomes. This study aimed to compare the trends of CVD admissions and outcomes before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Methods We carried out a retrospective study of patients suffering from CVDs admitted from March 11, 2018, to March 11, 2020 (Pre‐COVID‐19 pandemic period) and from March 11, 2020, to March 11, 2022 (COVID‐19 pandemic period). A p‐value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There were 483 admissions due to CVD during the COVID‐19 pandemic and 518 during the pre‐COVID‐19 period. There was no significant difference in mean age before (57.97 ± 15.6 years) and during the pandemic (59.74 ± 16.1 years) (p = 0.44). There was also no significant change in the proportion of males and females during and before the pandemic: males (21, 4%, and 24.8%), and females (26.8% and 27%), (p = 0.28). There was a downward secular trend with random variation in the number of CVD admissions during the pandemic compared with the corresponding pre‐COVID period, which had an upward trend. Rates of admissions of Acute Myocardial Infarction decreased the most (22.2%) during the first wave of the pandemic. The in‐hospital mortality increased by 2.4% with a relative risk for Mortality of 1.18 (95% CI [0.87–1.61], p = 0.28). There was no change in median length of hospital stay (p = 0.936). Conclusion This study provides evidence of a decreasing tendency in admissions due to CVD during the COVID‐19 Pandemic at the BRH. The effects varied among the different types of CVDs. The in‐hospital mortality of CVDs did not change significantly.