Covid-19 Lockdown Led To Fewer Ingestion Cases But A Higher Percentage Of More Serious Cases Needed Hospitalisation

Italy was the first western country to be seriously affected by COVID-19. As hospitals became overwhelmed with cases in spring 2020, we saw a parallel decrease in admissions for other medical conditions, even serious and critical diseases (1). The tertiary Santobono-Pausilipon children's hospital in Naples provides the only 24/7 endoscopy paediatric service in the Campania Region in southern Italy. In 2019, we handled 1,247 emergency department visits due to ingestion of caustic substances or foreign bodies.