Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy.

Methods: We compared the number of patients who underwent H. pylori eradication treatment, the eradication rate, the percentage of patients who did not undergo an assessment after therapy, and eradication assessment methods between 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2020, during the pandemic.

Results: The number of patients who received eradication therapy was 319 in 2019 and 190 in 2020, with a significant decrease in the number of patients in 2020 (P=0.003). The percentage of patients who did not undergo an assessment after therapy was 9.4% in 2019 and 16.8% in 2020, with significant increase in the percentage of patients in 2020 (P=0.005). The percentage of patients for whom eradication success was assessed by stool H. pylori antigen test increased from 6.6% in 2019 to 29.1% in 2020 (P=0.003).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of patients receiving eradication therapy, increased the number of patients not receiving eradication assessment, and increased the number of patients receiving eradication assessment by stool antigen test.

The patient is a 74-year-old woman without subjective symptoms. She performed a surveillance colonoscopy approximately 1 year after lower rectal cancer surgery. A slightly yellowish hemispherical elevated lesion with a diameter of approximately 2 cm was observed in the transverse colon, located above the hepatic fold. The elevated lesion did not return to its normal depression as diverticulum after the air supply. Still, the wall was very soft and formed a depression by applying pressure with forceps. The dimpling was positive, and the inverted colonic diverticulum was diagnosed. The patient needs to be followed carefully because of the risk of inflammation, bleeding, and intussusception.