The impact of the lockdown and the re-opening of schools and day cares on the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections in children – A nationwide register study in Finland

WHO announces COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Mar 12, 2020 Web site. http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/news/news/2020/3/who-announces-covid-19-outbreak-a-pandemic. Accessed Mar 22, 2020.

Preparedness for the novel coronavirus disease - A state of emergency in Finland. Mar 16, 2020 Web site. https://stm.fi/en/coronavirus-preparedness. Accessed Mar 19, 2020.

Bin Nafisah, 2018, School closure during novel influenza: a systematic review, J Infect Public Health, 11, 657, 10.1016/j.jiph.2018.01.003

Kuitunen, 2020, Effect of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of viral respiratory tract infections in children in Finland during early 2020, Pediatr Infect Dis J, 10.1097/INF.0000000000002845

Sakamoto, 2020, Seasonal influenza activity during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Japan, JAMA, 323, 1969, 10.1001/jama.2020.6173

Cowling, 2020, Impact assessment of non-pharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 and influenza in Hong Kong: an observational study, Lancet Public Health, 5, 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30090-6

Sullivan, 2020, Where has all the influenza gone? The impact of COVID-19 on the circulation of influenza and other respiratory viruses, Australia, March to September 2020, Euro Surveill Bull Eur Mal Transm, 25, 1

Hatoun, 2020, Social distancing for COVID-19 and diagnoses of other infectious diseases in children, Pediatrics (Evanston), 10.1542/peds.2020-006460

Finnish national infectious diseases register. https://thl.fi/en/web/infectious-diseases/surveillance/infectious-disease-register. Accessed June 4, 2020.

StatFin statistics Finland's online service. https://www.stat.fi/org/avoindata/pxweb_en.html. Accessed Nov 8, 2020.

Hand hygiene can be further improved – handrubs should be possible in all public spaces. https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/hand-hygiene-can-be-further-improved-handrubs-should-be-possible-in-all-public-spaces-. Updated 2020. Accessed Nov 8, 2020.

Stay home if you have mild symptoms and seek medical help only if your symptoms are severe. https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/stay-home-if-you-have-mild-symptoms-and-seek-medical-help-only-if-your-symptoms-are-severe. Updated 2020. Accessed Nov 8, 2020.

Government decides to lift the restrictions on early childhood education and care and on primary and lower secondary education. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/artikkeli/-/asset_publisher/10616/hallitus-paatti-varhaiskasvatuksen-ja-perusopetuksen-rajoitteiden-purkamisesta?_101_INSTANCE_LZ3RQQ4vvWXR_languageId=en_US. Updated 2020. Accessed May 14, 2020.

Municipal survey: Across the country, 88 per cent of pupils took part in education after schools opened, with differences between provinces (in Finnish) http://www.avi.fi/web/avi/-/kuntakysely-koko-maassa-88-prosenttia-oppilaista-osallistui-opetukseen-koulujen-avauduttua-maakuntien-valilla-eroja.

Government decides on plan for hybrid strategy to manage coronavirus crisis and for gradual lifting of restrictions. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/artikkeli/-/asset_publisher/10616/hallitus-linjasi-suunnitelmasta-koronakriisin-hallinnan-hybridistrategiaksi-ja-rajoitusten-vaiheittaisesta-purkamisesta?_101_INSTANCE_LZ3RQQ4vvWXR_languageId=en_US. Updated 2020. Accessed May 14, 2020.

THL recommends the use of a face mask to protect others - hand washing and safety intervals are the most important ways to prevent coronary infections (article in Finnish). https://thl.fi/fi/-/thl-suosittaa-kasvomaskin-kayttoa-toisten-suojaamiseksi-kasienpesu-ja-turvavalit-ovat-tarkeimmat-keinot-ehkaista-koronatartuntoja. Updated 2020. Accessed Nov 5, 2020.

Louhiala, 1995, Form of day care and respiratory infections among Finnish children, Am J Public Health, 85, 1109, 10.2105/AJPH.85.8_Pt_1.1109

Angoulvant, 2021, Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Impact caused by school closure and national lockdown on pediatric visits and admissions for viral and nonviral infections-a time series analysis, Clin Infect Dis, 72, 319, 10.1093/cid/ciaa710

McBride, 2020, Impact of COVID-19 quarantine and school cancelation on other common infectious diseases, Pediatr Infect Dis J, 39, 10.1097/INF.0000000000002883

Cauchemez, 2009, Closure of schools during an influenza pandemic, Lancet Infect Dis, 9, 473, 10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70176-8

Chen, 2014, Risk factors for acute respiratory infection in the Australian community, PLoS One, 9

Nesti, 2007, Infectious diseases and daycare and preschool education, J Pediatr, 83, 299, 10.2223/JPED.1649

Olsen, 2020, Decreased influenza activity during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, Australia, Chile, and South Africa, 2020, MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 69, 1305, 10.15585/mmwr.mm6937a6

Hsieh, 2020, The outcome and implications of public precautionary measures in Taiwan–Declining respiratory disease cases in the COVID-19 pandemic, Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17, 4877, 10.3390/ijerph17134877

Li, 2020, The temporal association of introducing and lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions with the time-varying reproduction number (R) of SARS-CoV-2: a modelling study across 131 countries, Lancet Infect Dis

Poole, 2020, Physical distancing in schools for SARS-CoV-2 and the resurgence of rhinovirus, Lancet Respir Med, 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30502-6

Kuitunen, 2020, Closing Finnish schools and day care centres had a greater impact on primary care than secondary care emergency department visits, Acta Paediatr

A symptomatic child should be tested for corona if having a new respiratory infection or if there is reason to suspect exposure to the corona (article in Finnish). https://thl.fi/fi/-/oireinen-lapsi-tulee-vieda-koronatestiin-jos-hanella-on-uusi-hengitystieinfektio-tai-on-syyta-epailla-korona-altistumista. Updated 2020. Accessed Nov 6, 2020.

Corona testing is congested in many places in Finland - at worst it can take almost a week to get the test and wait for the result (article in Finnish). https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11483598. Updated 2020. Accessed October 16, 2020.