Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated an 81% reduction in pediatric Emergency Room (ER) visits in Italy during the strict lockdown due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Since May 2020, lockdown measures were relaxed until 6 November 2020, when a strict lockdown was patchily reintroduced. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of the relaxed lockdown on pediatric ER visits in Italy. We performed a retrospective multicenter study involving 14 Italian pediatric ERs. We compared total ER visits from 24 September 2020 to 6 November 2020 with those during the corresponding timeframe in 2019. We evaluated 17 ER specific diagnoses grouped in air communicable and non-air communicable diseases. We recognized four different triage categories: white, green, yellow and red. In 2020 total ER visits were reduced by 51% compared to 2019 (16,088 vs. 32,568, respectively). The decrease in air communicable diseases was significantly higher if compared to non-air communicable diseases (−64% vs. −42%, respectively). ER visits in each triage category decreased in 2020 compared to 2019, but in percentage, white and red codes remained stable, while yellow codes slightly increased and green codes slightly decreased. Our results suggest that preventive measures drastically reduced the circulation of air communicable diseases even during the reopening of social activities but to a lesser extent with regard to the strict lockdown period (March–May 2020).
Highlights
The first cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) were described in China in December 2019 and the WHO declared a pandemic on11 March 2020 [1]
In our study, evaluating 14 Italian hospitals that are a representative sample of the whole Italian population, the most important result is that total pediatric Emergency Room (ER) visits dropped by 51% from 24 September to 6 November 2020, compared to the corresponding timeframe in 2019
This drop can be explained by the preventive measures adopted in Italy, such as social-distancing measures, the use of face masks, hand washing and bans of mass gatherings, which may have contributed to the reduction of the spread of both SARS-CoV-2 and other acute communicable diseases, the most common ER presentations in children along with accidents [6,7]
Summary
The first cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) were described in China in December 2019 and the WHO declared a pandemic on. 11 March 2020 [1]. The first Italian case was described in February 2020. A total of 4,515,967 cases and 128,362 deaths (2.8%) were reported in Italy, with a median age of 46 years [2]. Until 25 August 2021, 711,898 (15.9%) pediatric cases were reported in Italy, with 31 fatalities [2]. In order to face this pandemic spread, the Italian Prime Minister declared a strict lockdown on 9 March 2020 [3]. Social distancing and the obligation of wearing face masks starting at six years of age were introduced.
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