Decrease in paediatric emergency room visits during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: A population-based study

Abstract

Aim: To investigate paediatric emergency room (ER) visits to evaluate the immediate health effects of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on children.

Methods: We retrospectively examined paediatric ER visits in the Helsinki University Hospital (HUH) district during the first wave of the pandemic (1 March to 31 May 2020), and a 2-month period immediately before and after. These periods were compared to the corresponding time periods in 2015-2019 ('reference period').

Results: The total number of ER visits decreased by 23.4% (mean 6474 during the reference period, 4960 during the pandemic period (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.77; p < 0.001). This was due to a decrease in visits related to infectious diseases; visits due to surgical reasons did not decrease. The amount or proportion of patients triaged to the most urgent class (Emergency Severity Index 1) did not increase. Paediatric ER visits returned to baseline after lifting of restrictions.

Conclusions: Although paediatric ER visits substantially decreased during the pandemic restrictions, children seen at the ER were not more severely ill. Our results do not indicate immediate detrimental health effects of pandemic control measures on children.

Keywords: COVID-19; emergency care; emergency department; health care; paediatric.