[Lockdown and their effects on hospital emergency department attendance]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Belgian authorities implemented a COVID-19 lockdown from March 18 to May 3, 2020.
• The impact of this lockdown on Emergency Department (ED) attendance for non-urgent cases was previously unexamined.
• Understanding these trends is crucial for healthcare resource management during public health crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the effect of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on Emergency Department attendance by patients with non-urgent pathologies.
• To compare ED attendance patterns during the lockdown with the same period in the prior year.
• To quantify changes in the proportion of non-urgent cases presenting to the ED.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patient files at Brugmann Hospital, Brussels.
• Inclusion criteria: patients presenting to the ED with conditions triaged as 4-5 on the Manchester Triage System (MTS).
• Comparison of data from the 2020 lockdown period (March 18 - May 3) with the corresponding period in 2019.

Main Results:

• A notable decrease in Emergency Department attendance by patients with non-urgent conditions was observed during the 2020 lockdown.
• The proportion of non-urgent cases relative to total ED visits decreased significantly.
• This indicates a behavioral change in seeking emergency care for less critical issues during the lockdown.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 lockdown significantly reduced the attendance of non-urgent patients at the Emergency Department.
• This suggests that lockdowns may alter public behavior regarding healthcare-seeking for non-critical conditions.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications and patient outcomes.