That scary surge in 'flesh-eating' bacteria wasn't because of lockdowns; it was because COVID messed with our immune systems.
March 23, 2026
Original Paper
SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic Surge in Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease
medRxiv · 10.64898/2026.03.19.26348823
The Takeaway
A study of 11 million people found that cumulative exposure to SARS-CoV-2 explained up to 66% of the rise in invasive Group A Streptococcal disease. This challenges the popular theory that the surge occurred because people's immune systems grew 'lazy' during social distancing, suggesting instead that COVID-19 specifically leaves the host more vulnerable to bacterial invasion.
From the abstract
Background: Multiple countries reported unprecedented increases in invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease following widespread SARS-CoV-2 circulation. Whether this surge reflects reduced pathogen exposure during non-pharmaceutical interventions (immunity debt) or effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on host immunity remains unresolved. Methods: We conducted a population-based time-series analysis of weekly iGAS incidence in central Ontario, Canada (population {approx}11 million) from March 201