Paediatric COVID‐19 admissions in a region with open schools during the two first months of the pandemic

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica 2020-10, Vol.109 (10), p.2152-2154
• Main Authors: Hildenwall, Helena, Luthander, Joachim, Rhedin, Samuel, Hertting, Olof, Olsson‐Åkefeldt, Selma, Melén, Erik, Alfvén, Tobias, Herlenius, Eric, Ryd Rinder, Malin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Brief Report; Brief Reports; Child; Child, Preschool; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Pandemics; Pandemics - statistics & numerical data; Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Schools; Sweden - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/apa.15432

According to the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization, 194 countries had implemented country‐wide school closures by April 1st 2020 in an effort to combat the COVID‐19 pandemic. It’s estimated that those closures affected 91.3% of students across the globe. However, Sweden adopted a different approach to the strict lockdowns imposed elsewhere and day care centres and schools for children up to 15 years of age remained open. The strategy decision to shift schools to distance learning only for children aged 16 years and older was influenced by multiple factors, including the potential impact on school closures on the availability of the healthcare work force, the increasing evidence of mainly mild infections among children and the potential negative consequences of school closures for younger children.