Report and challenges in pediatric fever clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from a patient survey

Abstract

 In April 2020, ‘A hospital’ established a children’s fever clinic in response to the increasing number of patients with COVID-19 in Japan. The primary objective of this fever clinic was to prevent droplet transmission of COVID-19. The operational system of the children’s fever clinic was as follows: children presenting with fever were directed to the parking lot and were requested to wait in their vehicles. Subsequently, the children were examined by the medical staff using standard precautions, received medications, and processed payments in their vehicles. We distributed a questionnaire to the patients and their families after the clinic’s launch to evaluate the clinic’s operations. The survey response rate was 44％ (n＝31). Over time, the children’s fever clinic gained recognition, as many media outlets in Japan reported its presence. Many patients provided positive feedback on several systems implemented to avoid droplet transmission in the clinic. Affirmative responses, such as “we have no choice against this new unknown virus” and “acceptable method for avoiding droplet transmission,” were recorded. In contrast, some negative feedback was also received, highlighting concerns such as prolonged wait times and discomfort among children owing to confined vehicle spaces, particularly during summer and winter. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a pediatric fever clinic system based on this experience to better address the challenges associated with the emergence of new infectious diseases in the future.