ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aims to described the epidemiology and genotypic diversity of Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the prevalence of HMPV in hospitalized children with Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in Beijing, China. METHODS: From April 2018 to March 2019 and from September 2020 to August 2021, nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from hospitalized children with ARTIs in Beijing were collected and subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction tests for HMPV. Then genotyping, detection of 15 common respiratory viruses and clinical characteristics were analyzed on HMPV positive samples. RESULTS: 7.9% (124/1572) enrolled pediatric patients were identified as having HMPV infection, and the majority of children under the age of 5 (78.2%, 92/124), From April 2018 to March 2019. The detection rate of HMPV in spring and winter is significantly higher than that in summer and autumn. The co-infection rate were 37.1% (46/124), the most common co-infected virus were parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3). The main diagnosis of HMPV infection was pneumonia (92.7%,115/124), most patient have cough and fever. Of 78 HMPV-positive specimens, A2b (82.1%,64/78) were the main epidemic subtypes. Hospitalized children with HMPV genotype A infection had a higher viral load compared to genotype B. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Among 232 samples, only 4 cases were HMPV-positive. After statistical test, the detection rate of HMPV during the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased significantly compared with that before the epidemic (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HMPV is an important cause of ARTIs in children under 5 years old. The epidemic peak is generally in winter and spring, and the A2b subtype is the most common. However, under the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HMPV infection of hospitalized children with ARTIs has decreased significantly.
ABSTRACT
The 2019 novel coronavirus infection has brought a great challenge in prevention and control of the national epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. During the fight against the epidemic of COVID-19, properly carrying out pre-examination and triage for patients with skin lesions and fever has been a practical problem encountered in hospitals for skin diseases as well as clinics of dermatology in general hospitals. Considering that certain skin diseases may have symptom of fever, and some of the carriers of 2019 novel coronavirus and patients with COVID-19 at their early stage may do not present any symptoms of COVID-19, to properly deal with the visitors to clinics of dermatology, the Chinese Society of Dermatology organized experts to formulate the principles and procedures for pre-examination and triage of visitors to clinics of dermatology during the epidemic of COVID-19.