Context and setting
The Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria (AOU) “Città della Salute e
della Scienza” in Turin (Piedmont region, Italy) constitutes one of
the largest health care centres in Europe13. Inside
the AOU, the “Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita” (OIRM) is a
paediatric Hospital that seeks to prevent, diagnose and treat children’s
diseases. The hospital has surgical and medical specialties for the
treatment of infants, children and adolescents in the Piedmont
region14. On 14th September 2020, a nasopharyngeal
molecular swab3,15 execution centre for SARS-CoV-2
detection was opened at OIRM. This centre, called school hot spot (HS),
was designed with the aim of quickly providing SARS-CoV-2 tests to
school-age children. Patients accessed to the service sent by their GP
or spontaneously if they referred to having symptoms of
COVID-1916 or reported close contact with a positive
patient according to ECDC guidelines17. The HS was
open from Monday to Saturday from 10.30 am to 3.00 pm and on Sunday
10.30 am to 01.00 pm.
Children entered the HS accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian and
a paediatric nurse performed nasopharyngeal swabs. Access to the HS was
free for all and no medical prescriptions were required.
In addition, at the OIRM, in the emergency room, SARS-CoV-2
nasopharyngeal swabs are performed on all paediatric patients who
reported COVID-19 symptoms16 or contact with COVID-19
positive patients in the previous 14 days in agreement with ECDC general
guidance for management of persons who have had contact with COVID-19
cases17,18. Furthermore, patients admitted to the
hospital wards, even in day hospital (DH), are subjected to a swab for
the detection of SARS-CoV-2 before hospital admission.
To understand and comment the different risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2,
the percentage of distance learning activities in the various age groups
appears to be an important information. Thus, to give context, Table 1
describes the percentages of distance learning activities in schools
divided by date and age group.