Paediatric prehospital emergencies and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children are less vulnerable to serious forms of the COVID-19 disease. However, concerns have been raised about children being the second victims of the pandemic and its control measures. Therefore, we wanted to study if the pandemic, the infection control measures and their consequences to the society projected to paediatric prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) contacts.

Methods

We conducted a population-based cohort study concerning all children aged 0-15 years with EMS contacts in the Helsinki University Hospital area during 1 March 2020-31 May 2020 (study period) and equivalent periods in 2017-2019 (control periods). We analysed the demographic characteristics, time of EMS contact, reason for EMS contact, priority of the dispatch, reason for transporta

SUBMITTER: Oulasvirta J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7607513 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature