COVID-19 related admissions to a regional burn center: The impact of shelter-in-place mandate

• Main Authors: Felicia N. Williams (Author), Lori Chrisco (Author), Rabia Nizamani (Author), Booker T. King (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Elsevier, 2020-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2468-9122; 10.1016/j.burnso.2020.07.004
• Keywords: Pediatric burns; COVID-19; Pandemic; School-age children; Shelter-in-place; Dermatology; RL1-803; Medical emergencies. Critical care. Intensive care. First aid; RC86-88.9
• Source: Burns Open, Vol 4, Iss 4, Pp 158-159 (2020)

The ramifications from the 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the novel corona virus will be felt globally for years to come. Mandates to shelter-in-place were called in nearly every state to limit viral exposure. The impact of the mandate on acute burn admissions was unknown. Our objective was to assess the impact of a shelter-in-place order on acute burn admissions at our burn center. All patients admitted to the burn center with burn injuries- including inhalation injury only- and desquamating skin disorders between March 10th to May 22nd, 2020 were eligible for inclusion. We compared all burn center admissions to a month-matched historical cohort from 2019, and summertime admissions for the last five years. Statistical significance was accepted as p < 0.05. There was a 9% increase in pediatric admissions after the shelter-in-place order. Compared to the 2019 cohort, there was a 28% increase in admissions of school aged children in 2020. This was not statistically significant. While the purpose of the "shelter-in-place" mandate was to reduce viral transmission of COVID-19, it consequently led to an increased percentage of admissions of school age children- comparable to our summertime numbers. More outreach and education are needed to provide safe resources for families during this pandemic.