This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the proportion of patients admitted for COVID-19-related symptoms with those admitted for other reasons who incidentally tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Data were collected from a system-wide administrative database between March 26 and June 6, 2020. During the statewide lockdown, 92 hospitalized patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with 4.3% being admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints. After the lockdown was lifted, the total number of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients increased to 128, with 20.3% being admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints. The study found a significant increase in the proportion of patients admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints who were incidentally found to be SARS-CoV-2-positive after the lockdown. The authors emphasize the need for standardized coding practices to distinguish between patients with COVID-19-related symptoms and asymptomatic patients carrying the virus to ensure data integrity and public trust in public health interventions.This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the proportion of patients admitted for COVID-19-related symptoms with those admitted for other reasons who incidentally tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Data were collected from a system-wide administrative database between March 26 and June 6, 2020. During the statewide lockdown, 92 hospitalized patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with 4.3% being admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints. After the lockdown was lifted, the total number of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients increased to 128, with 20.3% being admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints. The study found a significant increase in the proportion of patients admitted for non-COVID-19-related complaints who were incidentally found to be SARS-CoV-2-positive after the lockdown. The authors emphasize the need for standardized coding practices to distinguish between patients with COVID-19-related symptoms and asymptomatic patients carrying the virus to ensure data integrity and public trust in public health interventions.