Journal
CHILDREN-BASEL
Volume 8, Issue 12, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/children8121183
Keywords
preventive measures; children; infectious diseases; drugs; pediatric and healthcare; expenditure
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study found a significant reduction in the incidence of common children's diseases and consumption of medications in 2020 compared to 2019 during the months when restrictive measures were in place, with an attenuation of this effect during the gradual loosening of those measures.
Objective: To evaluate how the restrictive measures implemented during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have influenced the incidence of the most common children's diseases and the consumption of medications in 2020 compared to 2019. Methods: We involved all family pediatricians of the local health authority of Latina, from which we requested data of monthly visits in 2019 and 2020 for six common diseases disseminated through droplets and contact, and the territorial and integrative pharmaceutical unit of the area, from which we requested data of the net expenditure regarding the most commonly used drugs at pediatric age. Results: There was significant reduction in the incidence of the evaluated diseases and in the consumption of investigated drugs between 2019 and 2020 in the months when the restrictive measures were in place, with an attenuation of this effect during the months of the gradual loosening of those measures. Conclusion: Nonpharmaceutical intervention measures have caused changes in the diffusion of common pediatric diseases. We believe that the implementation of a reasonable containment strategy, even outside of the pandemic, could positively influence the epidemiology of infectious and allergic diseases in children, and healthcare system spending.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available