Presentations to the emergency department in Bologna, Italy, during COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

The Emilia Romagna (ER) region, Italy, in March 2020 has seen one of the largest and most serious clusters of COVID-19 in the world. In the period of 30 January to 31 May 2020, the number of paediatric emergency department presentations in Bologna, ER, decreased by 50% compared with the same period of 2019. Visits declined for every age group, with a decrease of 35%, 55% and 46% for the three age groups 0-2, 2-10 and 10-14 years, respectively. The admission rate increased from 5% to 13%. Fewer non-urgent attendances, alongside a decrease in seasonal infections due to the lockdown, appear to be the main reasons.