Parent-reported hesitancy to seek emergency care for children at the crest of the first wave of COVID-19 in Chicago.

Abstract

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic and seasonal influenza outbreaks have, at times, overwhelmed capacity in children's hospitals.1 The COVID-19 pandemic is different. Relatively few children have become severely ill when infected with SARS-CoV-2.2 In four weeks from March to April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 42% reduction in emergency department (ED) visits nationally compared with the prior year and noted the steepest decrease in visits was among children <15 years.