@article{ref1,
title="The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on community violence in Connecticut",
journal="American journal of surgery",
year="2022",
author="O'Neill, Kathleen M. and Dodington, James and Gawel, Marcie and Borrup, Kevin and Shapiro, David S. and Gates, Jonathan and Gregg, Shea and Becher, Robert D.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Natural disasters may lead to increases in community violence due to broad social disruption, economic hardship, and large-scale morbidity and mortality. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on community violence is unknown. <br><br>METHODS: Using trauma registry data on all violence-related patient presentations in Connecticut from 2018 to 2021, we compared the pattern of violence-related trauma from pre-COVID and COVID pandemic using an interrupted time series linear regression model. <br><br>RESULTS: There was a 55% increase in violence-related trauma in the COVID period compared with the pre-COVID period (IRR: 1.55; 95%CI: 1.34-1.80; p-value<0.001) driven largely by penetrating injuries. This increase disproportionately impacted Black/Latinx communities (IRR: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.36-1.90; p-value<0.001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Violence-related trauma increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased community violence is a significant and underappreciated negative health and social consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one that excessively burdens communities already at increased risk from systemic health and social inequities.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-9610",
doi="10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.10.004",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.10.004"
}