Currently submitted to: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Apr 2, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 3, 2026 - May 29, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Impact of the Respiratory Virus Pandemic on Foodborne Diseases: A Pre‑Post Retrospective Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Foodborne diseases remain a significant public health concern globally, imposing substantial health and economic burdens. The respiratory virus pandemic that began in 2020 has altered healthcare-seeking behaviors, infection control practices, and the epidemiology of various infectious diseases, yet its specific impact on foodborne diseases remains underexplored.
Objective:
This study aimed to analyze the impact of the respiratory virus pandemic on the incidence and etiological profile of foodborne diseases by conducting an in-depth analysis of clinical and etiological data from patients attending a gastrointestinal clinic over a six-year period, and to provide evidence to inform prevention strategies in the post-pandemic era.
Methods:
We collected data from patients diagnosed with foodborne diseases at the Gastrointestinal Clinic of Peking University Third Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 (pre-pandemic) and between January 2022 and December 2023 (post-pandemic). Etiological monitoring results were obtained from the Beijing Haidian District Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases were divided into two groups based on time period, and chi-squared tests were used for comparisons.
Results:
A total of 1,064 patients were included. From 2018 to 2019, there were 561 cases, with 205 etiologically positive cases (36.54%), including 22 Salmonella, 24 Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 66 Escherichia coli O157:H7, and 43 norovirus cases. From 2022 to 2023, there were 503 cases, with 116 etiologically positive cases (23.06%), including 13 Salmonella, 7 Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 45 Escherichia coli O157:H7, and 17 norovirus cases. The overall positivity rate decreased significantly post-pandemic (27.6% vs. 16.3%, P<0.05). Students and males aged 16–25 years were the most affected demographic. Escherichia coli O157:H7 remained the predominant pathogen in both periods.
Conclusions:
The respiratory virus pandemic significantly impacted the epidemiology of foodborne diseases, with a notable decline in pathogen-positive cases after the pandemic. Targeted infection prevention measures and health education should be prioritized for students and young adults in gastrointestinal clinic settings. These findings contribute formative evidence for adapting public health strategies in the post-pandemic context.
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