Public awareness for "classic" childhood diseases and inflammatory syndromes in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Zieger, Artur Strzelecki, Steffen Springer
PMID 35835017WHAT IT FOUND
Search interest in classic childhood diseases dropped significantly during the early pandemic, while attention to Kawasaki disease and PIMS spiked only after media reports.
Low public search volume for serious conditions like PIMS does not mean low risk, so rely on clinical signs rather than parental awareness.
Key findings
01Relative search interest in classic childhood diseases like measles and chickenpox declined significantly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
02Search interest for PIMS never reached the popularity levels of Kawasaki disease, despite PIMS being a severe condition.
03Spikes in search interest for PIMS coincided with specific media reports and scientific publications rather than reflecting a steady underlying awareness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Google Trends data is not representative of all parts of the world because Google's popularity varies by region. The search data cannot reveal the motivation behind the queries, so it is unclear if searches were for personal concern, academic interest, or casual curiosity.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low search volume for PIMS as evidence that it is a rare or less serious concern compared to Kawasaki disease. The data reflects public awareness and media influence, not clinical incidence or severity.