Social distancing decreased pediatric respiratory tract infections in
Finland

Date:
August 17, 2020
Source:
University of Eastern Finland
Summary:
Finland declared a lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic
in March 2020, and the ensuing social distancing measures decreased
the number of pediatric emergency room visits to nearly one-third
of what they used to be, according to a recent study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Finland declared a lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic in
March 2020, and the ensuing social distancing measures decreased the
number of paediatric emergency room visits to nearly one-third of what
they used to be, according to a recent register-based study conducted
in collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio
University Hospital and the National Institute for Health and Welfare.


==========================================================================
The researchers looked at the number of paediatric emergency room visits
in two Finnish hospitals (Kuopio University Hospital, Mikkeli Central
Hospital) four weeks before and four weeks after the country went into lockdown. In addition, nationwide weekly numbers of influenza (A + B)
and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children were collected from the national infectious disease register for the influenza season 2019-2020,
and compared against numbers from 2015.

Besides a decrease in paediatric emergency room visits, the number of
hospital referrals was also decreased by half since the start of the
lockdown. A similar decrease was observed in both hospitals and in
children of all ages.

Most paediatric emergency room visits are caused by viral respiratory
tract infections, and especially cases of upper respiratory tract
infections and middle ear infections decreased significantly. The
change was most visible in cases of lower respiratory tract infections,
i.e. bronchitis and pneumonia, whose incidence decreased to around
one-fifth. A similar decrease was not seen in the numbers from spring
2019.

The influenza season and RS virus epidemic ended soon after the lockdown
was declared. In comparison to earlier years, the influenza season lasted
only for roughly half of its normal duration (8 weeks vs. 13-20 weeks
in earlier years).

No paediatric cases of COVID-19 were found in participating hospitals
during the study period.

"We are used to the idea that children have respiratory tract infections
almost all the time; most commonly they suffer from bronchitis and
middle ear infections. Children under the age of one are also frequently hospitalised due to RSV or influenza. However, our findings now show that social distancing plays a major role in reducing paediatric infections, emergency room visits and hospitalisation," Professor of Paediatrics
Marjo Renko from the University of Eastern Finland says.

The study was published in Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal in
late July.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Eastern_Finland. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Ilari Kuitunen, Miia Artama, Lotta Ma"kela", Katri Backman, Tarja
Heiskanen-Kosma, Marjo Renko. Effect of Social Distancing Due to
the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Incidence of Viral Respiratory Tract
Infections in Children in Finland During Early 2020. Pediatric
Infectious Disease Journal, 2020; Publish Ahead of Print DOI:
10.1097/INF.0000000000002845 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200817104335.htm

--- up 4 weeks, 5 days, 1 hour, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)