The occurrence of infection-related systemic diseases in Korean children and adolescents has decreased after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND: The occurrences of infection-related systematic diseases, such as Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP), intussusception, and mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MCLS) may have decreased, similarly to the decreased occurrence of infectious diseases following the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to investigate whether there was a change in the occurrence of these diseases in South Korea after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In this multicenter, retrospective study conducted in 16 medical centers in South Korea patients diagnosed with HSP, intussusception, and MCLS at the age of