Background: There is little data from South Asia on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiology services and catheterization laboratory volumes during the second year of the pandemic, particularly considering the novel delta variant, which had profound effects in the region during the second quarter (Q2) of 2021. We aimed to assess this impact from the perspective of tertiary cardiac centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods: Data on patient visits, admissions, procedures and catheterization volumes were collected for January to October 2020 and 2021 via hospital electronic records. Comparisons for each corresponding month were made between 2021 and 2020. The difference was expressed as a percentage (%Δ). Data for each quarter (Q1 to Q3) were compared using paired t-test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Overall, there was a significant increase in cardiology inpatient admissions (%Δ 45.54%; p=0.04), outpatient procedures (%Δ 47.39%; p=0.002), total cath lab procedures (%Δ 43.24; p= 0.013) and permanent pacing (%Δ 52.46%; p=0.009) in 2021 as compared with 2020. ER visits increased by 11.96% overall in 2021, but was not significantly different (p=0.7). As compared with Q1, admissions and cath lab volumes declined inQ2 (coinciding with the delta variant wave), but have picked up in Q3, and continue to increase. Despite this Q2 decline in 2021, total admissions(p=0.036), outpatient visits (p=0.024) and outpatient procedures (p=0.046) were significantly elevated in comparison to Q2 in 2020. Compared to Q2 of 2020,cath lab volumes were also elevated numerically (p=0.055) in 2021, with graphical trends showing increased volumes in Q3.

Conclusion: Cardiology services and cath lab volumes had reached almost pre-pandemic levels in January and February2021. Although admissions and catherization laboratory volumes declined during Q2, coinciding with the COVID-19 surge due to delta variant, they were still higher than corresponding months in the preceding year, indicative of an encouraging adaptation of the healthcare systems to care delivery during the prevailing pandemic.