A drop in number of hospitalizations among children with bacterial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic
2Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel
3Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel
4Department of Pediatrics A, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel
5Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
Aims: We aimed to examine whether there was a change in the number and severity of hospitalizations due to bacterial diseases in children during the initial peak period of COVID-19 spread in Israel, and to examine the distribution of the various types of infections during that period.
Methods: Data collection was performed retrospectively, extracted from the first peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel (20 March to 18 April, 2020). The digital files of all patients hospitalized in the pediatric wards during this period were retrospectively reviewed by two specialist pediatricians, and the reason for hospitalization was determined. Another analysis was performed in the PICU to examine the number of hospitalizations of patients with serious bacterial infections.
Resuls: A significant drop was found in the number of hospitalizations due to bacterial infections among children during the first peak period of COVID-19 in Israel. There was a 77% decrease in serious bacterial infections, and ≥ 50% decrease in most types of bacterial infections, especially osteoarticular and skin infections, followed by pneumonia and ENT infections. There was a decline of 31% in overall admissions to ICU unit due to serius bacterial infections.
Conclusion: Our study found a notable decrease in the number of hospitalizations due to bacterial infections among children during the closure period due to COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. One can hope that the decline was due to the quarantine and social distancing, and not to parents` fears of their child being infected with the COVID-19 virus