[Consequences of the lockdown during the first COVID-19 wave in 34 pediatric practices in Saarland].

BACKGROUND

In the first COVID-19 pandemic wave Saarland was one of the most affected federal states. Pediatric practices are the primary point of contact regarding questions about risk factors, symptoms and suspicion of illness. The lockdown could have a severe impact on overall number of consultancies, preventive medical check-ups and vaccinations.

OBJECTIVE

The impact of COVID-19-related lockdowns in Saarland regarding patient care in the ambulatory pediatric setting and general consultation, early preventive consultancy as well as specialized medical care.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All 53 pediatric practices in Saarland were asked to report their case numbers for calendar weeks 2-26 in 2019 and 2020. These data were analyzed via descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Data from 34 (64%) of Saarland's pediatric practices were evaluated. There was a decline of -37% regarding overall cases during lockdown, -9.4% of early diagnosis cases and -35% regarding specialized medical consultancy (4 specialized practices). After lockdown the overall case numbers were significantly reduced with -17.1% in comparison to 2019, the early diagnosis cases caught up nearly completely with +9.4% and also the specialized care showed catch-up effects with +7%.

CONCLUSION

Lockdown-related collateral damage regarding preventive performances/activities could be avoided in the ambulatory pediatric setting in Saarland. Cancelled/postponed activities caught up during the observation period.During the observation period, the overall case numbers remained lower than 2019. The reason could be the contribution of SARS-CoV‑2 prevention measures to significantly reduce other respiratory infections.