Parent‐reported hesitancy to seek emergency care for children at the crest of the first wave of COVID‐19 in Chicago

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic and seasonal influenza outbreaks have, at times, overwhelmed capacity in children's hospitals.1 The COVID-19 pandemic is different. Relatively few children have become severely ill when infected with SARS-CoV-2.2 In four weeks from March to April 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 42% reduction in emergency department (ED) visits nationally compared with the prior year and noted the steepest decrease in visits was among children <15 years.

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