Decreases in Young Children Who Received Blood Lead Level Testing During COVID-19 - 34 Jurisdictions, January-May 2020.

Decreases in Young Children Who Received Blood Lead Level Testing During COVID-19 - 34 Jurisdictions, January-May 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Feb 05;70(5):155-161 Authors: Courtney JG, Chuke SO, Dyke K, Credle K, Lecours C, Egan KB, Leonard M Abstract Exposure to lead, a toxic metal, can result in severe effects in children, including decreased ability to learn, permanent neurologic damage, organ failure, and death. CDC and other health care organizations recommend routine blood lead level (BLL) testing among children as part of well-child examinations to facilitate prompt identification of elevated BLL, eliminate source exposure, and provide medical and other services (1). To describe BLL testing trends among young children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, CDC analyzed data reported from 34 state and local health departments about BLL testing among children aged <6 years conducted during January-May 2019 and January-May 2020. Compared with testing in 2019, testing during January-May 2020 decreased by 34%, with 480,172 fewer children tested. An estimated 9,603 children with elevated BLL were missed because of decreased BLL testing. Despite geographic variability, all health departments reported fewer children tested for BLL after the national COVID-19 emergency declaration (March-May 2020). In addition, health departments reported difficulty conducting medical follow-up and environmental investiga...
Source: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkl... - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Source Type: research