Introduction:

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, pediatric admissions from all causes have decreased. This was mainly due to a decrease in all common respiratory diseases, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on pediatric admissions and diagnoses in a level II hospital.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was conducted, including all children admitted to a Portuguese level II hospital between March 2020 and December 2021 and the homologous period 2018-2019. The number of admissions, most common diagnoses, and demographic data were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 2956 admissions were included. A 44.1% decrease in pediatric hospital admissions was observed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Admissions for common communicable diseases such as acute bronchiolitis, acute gastroenteritis, varicella, and stomatitis decreased. An increase in respiratory illnesses, mainly due to respiratory syncytial virus, was observed when the pandemic restrictions ended.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on pediatric hospital admissions. Social distancing measures and the use of masks limited the transmission of common infectious diseases previously responsible for hospital admissions. Future studies are needed to understand whether the changes in respiratory virus epidemiology were transient.

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