+Undoctored Media release from the University of Otago Thursday 27 May 2021, 04:10 PM 3 minutes to Read An Oxford University-led study suggests COVID-19 lockdowns reduced the spread of deadly invasive bacterial diseases – potentially saving thousands of lives. Diseases caused by invasive bacteria, including pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, are leading causes of illness and death worldwide, especially among children and older adults. These pathogens are typically transmitted person-to-person via the respiratory route. In 2016 alone, 336 million episodes of invasive lower respiratory infections occurred worldwide, leading to 2.4 million deaths. Until now, it has been unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the transmission and incidence of these bacterial diseases. Viral respiratory infections (such as SARS-CoV-2) are associated with an increased risk of subsequent bacterial infections, particularly pneumonia.