Pattern of childhood illnesses seen before and during COVID-19 pandemic at children out-patient clinic of a tertiary health facility in Enugu, South-East Nigeria: An observational study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide threat. Currently, all attention is focused on defining the disease, its presentation, treatment, and prevention, with little thought given to the impact of this disease on the prevalence and pattern of other diseases that pose health challenges. This study was a retrospective and observational study of the pattern of cases presenting at the Children Out-Patient (CHOP) Clinics of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Parklane (ESUTHP) from five months before COVID detection to five months after COVID detection (COVID era). Clinical data from the clinic register, including age, gender, and diagnosis, was retrieved and recorded in an excel sheet before being transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. A total of 9377 children attended CHOP Clinics (6094 in the pre-COVID-19 era and 3283 in the COVID-19 era), representing a significant decrease in total clinic attendance in the COVID-19 era. During the study period, there was a 50% reduction in the number of cases (diseases and followups) documented from children attending clinics (pre-COVID-19 era, 4596 and COVID-19 era, 2367), indicating a significant reduction in the prevalence of these cases during the COVID-19 period. The prevalence of cases seen during the COVID-19 era was significantly lower than in the pre-COVID-19 era. This observed reduction could be attributed to COVID-19 control measures implemented in the hospital during the COVID-19 era. As a result, it is recommended that these measures be maintained in order to further reduce the prevalence of these cases even after COVID-19.