The COVID-19 pandemic has altered almost every aspect of the world, including economics, social issues, health care, and politics. Many experts consider this phenomenon to be a "syndemic," as it is more than just an outbreak of a viral infectious disease. Almost all countries worldwide have been deeply involved in the battle since the early months of 2020. As of June 2023, almost 700 million people have been infected, with reportedly 6.9 million deaths (around 1%) recorded globally due to COVID-19. These profound changes have had an adverse impact on healthcare systems worldwide. The healthcare industry has evolved to screen, diagnose, and treat COVID-19 patients promptly and cost-effectively. However, this shift has meant that resources have been diverted to managing a specific disease, rather than on preventive measures and critical areas of healthcare like injury prevention, care of mothers and infants, elderly care, long-term care institutions, etc. As a result, patients have encountered significant challenges in accessing care from their regular physicians, finding hospital beds, and accessing ICU beds in situations of extreme illness. Healthcare workers have also faced dramatic consequences, such as losing their lives, carrying a higher risk of infection compared to the general population, and working in high-risk environments while mourning for their colleagues and still being obligated to work for extended hours under these conditions. Additionally, vaccination procedures have been difficult and problematic, particularly in developing countries, where full coverage has been difficult to achieve.This Research Topic aims to cover topics related to the impact and challenges of the pandemic and syndemic on pediatric healthcare, focusing on specific areas such as the prehospital system, emergency departments, ICUs, medical branches, preventive medicine, rehabilitation, sports medicine, and infection surveillance.This article collection will evaluate and accept research on:• Clinical characteristics and management of COVID-19 in children• COVID vaccination in pediatric populations• The global picture with special regard to geographical and socioeconomic inequalities of COVID-19 infection in children• Excessive burden of COVID-19 in acute care of non-COVID children worldwide
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered almost every aspect of the world, including economics, social issues, health care, and politics. Many experts consider this phenomenon to be a "syndemic," as it is more than just an outbreak of a viral infectious disease. Almost all countries worldwide have been deeply involved in the battle since the early months of 2020. As of June 2023, almost 700 million people have been infected, with reportedly 6.9 million deaths (around 1%) recorded globally due to COVID-19. These profound changes have had an adverse impact on healthcare systems worldwide. The healthcare industry has evolved to screen, diagnose, and treat COVID-19 patients promptly and cost-effectively. However, this shift has meant that resources have been diverted to managing a specific disease, rather than on preventive measures and critical areas of healthcare like injury prevention, care of mothers and infants, elderly care, long-term care institutions, etc. As a result, patients have encountered significant challenges in accessing care from their regular physicians, finding hospital beds, and accessing ICU beds in situations of extreme illness. Healthcare workers have also faced dramatic consequences, such as losing their lives, carrying a higher risk of infection compared to the general population, and working in high-risk environments while mourning for their colleagues and still being obligated to work for extended hours under these conditions. Additionally, vaccination procedures have been difficult and problematic, particularly in developing countries, where full coverage has been difficult to achieve.This Research Topic aims to cover topics related to the impact and challenges of the pandemic and syndemic on pediatric healthcare, focusing on specific areas such as the prehospital system, emergency departments, ICUs, medical branches, preventive medicine, rehabilitation, sports medicine, and infection surveillance.This article collection will evaluate and accept research on:• Clinical characteristics and management of COVID-19 in children• COVID vaccination in pediatric populations• The global picture with special regard to geographical and socioeconomic inequalities of COVID-19 infection in children• Excessive burden of COVID-19 in acute care of non-COVID children worldwide