The pandemic changed a lot about daily life, including when and why families took their kids to the emergency room. A new report looking at U.S. emergency departments found that overall pediatric visits decreased in 2020, 2021, and the first month of 2022 when compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. At the same time, visits specifically for COVID-19 became a predominant reason for kids going to the ER during those pandemic years.
This report describes an association—a pattern that happened at the same time—but it cannot prove the pandemic caused these changes. It's an important look at how healthcare use shifted, but we need to be careful with the conclusions. The report does not include crucial details like how many children were involved, exactly how much visits dropped, or any statistical measures to confirm the findings.
Without those numbers, we can't know the true size of the shift or how it might have varied from place to place. The findings are limited to U.S. emergency departments and this specific timeframe. While it paints a picture of change, this observational report is a starting point for asking more questions, not a final answer.
