Increased admissions and hospitalizations to pediatric burn center during COVID 19 pandemic.

Dear Editor,

Since the COVID-19 epidemic begin, our personal and professional lives significantly have altered [1]. During last 4 months, majority of children under 18 yrs-old population were under “stay at home” orders in Turkey.

The admission and hospitalization to our pediatric burn center are averages 600 and 350, respectively, per year with peak during the winter.

We have reviewed our burn workload between March 11 and June 11, 2020 during the period of COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to data of admissions and hospitalization from the same period of the previous years. We found the significant increasing in pediatric burn admissions and hospitalization by 52% and 60%, respectively. The average TBSA burned in hospitalized children increased dramatically from 49% TBSA burned during same period of previous years to 66% BSA burned during pandemic period. Also, it is not surprise for us the significant increasing rate of all kinds of burn injuries in children of all ages since “stay at home” orders. We have expected this rise and took our necessary precautions.

In conclusion, all kind of trauma except burns in children decreased during the first three months of pandemic and the increased admissions and hospitalizations of pediatric burns is going on, therefore all burn care staffs must be ready this situation with taking high preventive measures against COVID-19 [1], [2].

Conflict of interest

The author has no conflict of interest.