 During the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant decrease in the number of patients visiting emergency departments in Germany. This decrease can be attributed to both changes in disease burdened due to contact restrictions, as well as changes in utilisation behaviour of the population. In particular, the youngest age group, 0 to 19 years old, experienced the greatest decrease in visits, with a decrease of 39.4%. Additionally, the severity of illness among patients visiting emergency departments decreased significantly, with the least severe cases experiencing the smallest decrease. These findings suggest that the decrease in emergency department visits may not necessarily indicate a lack of access to care or a shift towards self-treatment, but rather a change in the population's perception of the need for emergency care. This article was authored by Madlène Schranz, T. Sonja Bohender, Tim O'Grayner and others.