Surges of hospital-based rhinovirus infection during the 2020 coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Beijing, China.
World J Pediatr
; 17(6): 590-596, 2021 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1491418
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
A series of public health preventive measures has been widely implemented in Beijing to control the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic since January 2020. An evaluation of the effects of these preventive measures on the spread of other respiratory viruses is necessary.METHODS:
Respiratory specimens collected from children with acute respiratory infections were tested by NxTAG™ respiratory pathogen panel assays during January 2017 and December 2020. Specimens characterized as rhinoviruses (RVs) were sequenced to identify the RV species and types. Then, the epidemiology results of respiratory pathogens in 2020 were compared with those from 2017 to 2019 using SPSS statistics 22.0.RESULTS:
The positive rates of adenovirus (ADV), influenza virus (flu), RVs, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) dropped abruptly by 86.31%, 94.67%, 94.59%, and 92.17%, respectively, from February to May 2020, compared with the average level in the same period during 2017-2019. Positive rates of RVs then steeply increased from June 2020 (13.77%), to an apex (37.25%) in August 2020, significantly higher than the average rates (22.51%) in August 2017-2019 (P = 0.005). The increase, especially in group ≥ 3 years, was accompanied by the reopening of schools and kindergartens after the 23rd and 24th week of 2020 in Beijing.CONCLUSIONS:
Whereas the abrupt drop in viral pathogen positive rates from February to May 2020 revealed the remarkable effects of the COVID-19 preventive measures, the sharp increase in positive rates of RVs from the 23rd week of 2020 might be explained by the reopening of schools and kindergartens in Beijing.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Respiratory Tract Infections
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
/
Infant
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
World J Pediatr
Journal subject:
Pediatrics
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S12519-021-00477-2
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